Wraiths of the Ripper
by cheri1
Summary: Eleven/River, Rory/Amy, Rose/10.2. AU. Based on events in the DW novel, Matrix. The Eleventh Doctor feels a disturbance in his timeline that is affecting him greatly so he asks the TARDIS to help him. The TARDIS takes him to Pete's World where Rose and his clone are being threatened by a rapidly changing Tenth Doctor. FINISHED.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I just finished reading an old DW novel called Matrix. It revolved around Seven and Ace and also featured the Valeyard as Jack the Ripper. In the book, all of the Doctors except Seven had been taken by the Valeyard after he convinced them to commit atrocities and they became evil. Then he took their dark energy to power golems he created while the Doctors were reduced to emaciated, hollow eyed ghouls that preyed on people. Some of the atrocities the book described were Five saving the bat's milk antidote for himself and letting Peri die or One killing people in order to steal the TARDIS from Gallifrey. The book was written shortly after Paul McGann's movie so there's no mention of David or Matt's Doctors but I couldn't help but imagine them as these evil wraiths and what they might have done to turn to the darkness. So I thought I'd write this fanfiction as an AU companion piece to the book with Eleven fighting the darkness instead of Seven.

Chapter One

The Doctor entered the TARDIS and slammed the doors shut. His hands were trembling as he stumbled over to the console. They were shaking so much; he could barely operate the controls on his TARDIS. But he somehow managed to get his ship into the vortex before he collapsed onto the jump seat and swallowed hard. He had just left Donna behind with Wilf, her memories of him and her time together with him banished from her mind forever. But that wasn't why his hands were trembling and he was sweating profusely. It was the voice. The voice inside his mind that kept urging him to let Donna die as she deteriorated in front of his eyes. A voice that was unfamiliar and yet at the same time very familiar to him was telling him to let her mind burn, telling him that she was a useless ape and no one would ever miss her. He had to fight against the voice and force himself to save Donna's life. He succeeded but the thought of letting his best friend die while he stood there and watched terrified him to the very core of his being and he was still trying to calm down.

But even as he did, he still heard the voice. Only now it was saying something new. Now it was urging him to find a way to Pete's World and kill Rose and his clone so he could surrender forever to the ever-present darkness inside him that terrified him more than anything else in the universe.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

(Meanwhile, inside another TARDIS…)

Rory sat on the sofa inside the lounge and popped a few kernels of popcorn into his mouth. He, his wife, his daughter and the Doctor were going to watch a movie and pig out on pop and junk food. Everyone was inside the room except for the Doctor. Rory sighed and looked at the doorway. It had been nearly a half hour since they decided to do this. The Doctor told them to go ahead and assemble in the lounge and he'd meet them there but that had been the last they'd seen of him.

"Okay, I thought we were going to watch a film together and that included the Doctor," Rory said to his wife and daughter. "Where is he?"

"Probably tinkering with something, Father," River said. "If the man sneezes on a part, he thinks he has to fix it then and there."

"Well, the popcorn's getting cold," Amy said with a shrug, "and the pop is going stale."

"No worries, I'll fetch my husband," River said, rising from her comfy chair.

She walked out of the room and headed towards the console room. She found the Doctor standing at his console and chuckled as she walked down the stairs towards him.

"Everyone is waiting for you, did you forget Film Night?" she teased as she headed towards him.

The Doctor turned to her and River paused on the stairs when she saw the stricken look on his face.

"Love, what's wrong?" she said, hurrying to him.

"Something is wrong with me, I can feel it," the Doctor said.

"Well, let's get you to med bay," River said.

"No, it's not me that's wrong. It's my other selves. I can feel time being altered and whatever it is, it's coming for me," the Doctor said.

River swallowed hard when she saw the terror on the Doctor's face, something she very rarely saw on him. She pulled him close and hugged him.

"We'll sort it out, we always do," she said, trying to comfort him.

"There's something else," the Doctor said, looking at her.

"Yes?"

"There's something calling to me, a voice inside my head," he said, tapping his temple.

"Okay…" River said hesitantly, wondering if he was starting to come unhinged.

"It's speaking to me, telling me to kill."

River let go of him and took a step back.

"Kill who?" she said, dreading the answer.

The Doctor swallowed hard and pointed to her.

"And Amy and Rory, all of you," he said.

"Why?" River said.

"It just wants me to kill," the Doctor said, turning away from her. "It wants me to succumb to the darkness inside me and join it."

"Join who?" River said, her heart racing with fear.

"I don't know," the Doctor said, shaking his head as he stared at the console.

"What can we do?" River said, putting a tentative hand on his back.

The Doctor shook his head and was silent for a moment. Then he looked at the ceiling.

"I suppose we could ask the old girl to help," he said as he looked at the ceiling.

"You mean take us where we need to be," River said.

"Yes. Can you do that, Old Girl? Take us where we need to be so I can sort out this voice in my head?"

For a moment, there was no response and River wondered if the TARDIS was also at a loss. Then suddenly the ship violently changed course and River grabbed onto the Doctor while he held onto the console.

"I think she's found something," the Doctor said to River.

"You think so?" River said sarcastically as the ship rocked and vibrated.

"Hang on, River, I don't know where she's going but I hope it's somewhere useful," the Doctor said as he held on for dear life.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

(Pete's World…)

Rose opened the door and came into the flat she shared with her fiancé, John. John was once known as the Doctor but that was before he became half human and took a human life, choosing to live in London for the moment with the woman he loved. Rose was carrying a sack of groceries so she kicked the door shut and called John's name as she headed towards the kitchen. There was no response and Rose didn't hear anything in any of the rooms. She shrugged and walked into the kitchen, setting the sack down on the counter by the stove. She was sorting out the groceries and putting them away when she heard the front door open.

"Yeah, I know," she heard John saying before she heard the door close. "But what can you do?"

"I'm in here, love," Rose called out to him.

"Oh, I agree completely!"

Rose glanced over her shoulder when John entered the room. He was talking to someone on his mobile as he walked over to the counter. He was wearing a white t-shirt and jeans with black trainers. Rose thought he looked sexy that way, so different from the Doctor and his brown suit.

"Yeah, I agree," John was saying into the mobile as he rummaged around in the grocery sack for something to eat. "I mean, you have to admit that Rose is just a total slag."

Rose froze just as she was putting a carton of eggs into the refrigerator and looked at John in shock.

"I mean, you have to admit," John said, ignoring Rose while he pulled a sack of apples out of the sack. "Rose gives away more pussy than an animal shelter and it's sad, but what can you do?"

"Who the hell are you talking to?" Rose said as John untied the apple sack with one hand.

"Your mum," John said, glancing at her while he pulled a ripe red apple out of the sack. "Anyway, as I was saying, Rose is just a complete whore. It's shameful, really."

"Give me that," Rose said, snatching the mobile from his hand. "Mum," she said, putting it to her ear.

John giggled when Rose realized there was no one there and John had been pranking her. John laughed harder when Rose handed him the mobile, a droll look on her face.

"Yeah, that's really funny," Rose said while he snickered.

"Just kidding, Arkytior," he said, using his pet name for her.

Rose smiled at the use of the name, especially since it was Gallifreyan for Rose. John put his mobile back in his pocket and took a bite out of the apple, relishing the taste of it after walking back to their flat.

"I was thinking," John said to Rose while Rose finished putting the food away, "that we should go out to eat tonight. A nice romantic dinner for two."

"I just got groceries, you do see that, right?" Rose said.

"Groceries, schmoceries, I want a nice romantic dinner. I'll pay for it with my meager Torchwood salary so don't whinge. Just get dressed and look drop dead gorgeous for me."

"You are going to help with the rent when it comes, yeah? Life isn't all takeout and restaurants," Rose said as John came closer to her.

"Course I will. Of course, this is all going to go bye bye once the coral is big enough for us to get in," he said, drawing her close to him. "Then we head for the stars."

"Ooo, I like that idea," Rose purred as she ran her hand down his cheek.

"Figured you might. And…will you be a total slag for me in the bedroom tonight?"

"Mmm, we'll see," Rose said, pinching his nose.

"Well now, this might be a very lovely evening then," John said while Rose giggled. "Anyway, you go and pretty yourself and I'll finish things in here."

"What about you? You're going to wear this to a nice restaurant?" Rose said, fingering his t-shirt.

"Well, I was thinking of going completely starkers but that might get us tossed out the door."

"Yeah, I think it will," Rose said.

John chuckled and kissed her lips. He watched while she walked out of the room and with a grin, took a bit of his apple.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

(Later on that evening…)

John breathed out a contented sigh as he and Rose walked out of the fancy Italian restaurant near the city center of London. She looked beautiful in a black strapless evening gown with her hair done up in a tight bun. He was wearing a black suit with a maroon shirt and black tie and trainers, an outfit that was turning a few heads as they walked down the pavement. His hair was gelled and spiked up and looked perfect, at least in his opinion. His belly was full of spaghetti and breadsticks and the most beautiful woman in the world was by his side, what more could he want?

"Ah," he breathed out, "I am satiated."

"Oh?" Rose said, glancing at him.

"Almost," John said, a gleam in his eye. "I think afters will come later tonight in bed."

"Ooo, can't wait," Rose said as he waggled his eyebrows at her.

He crooked his arm and she threaded her arm through it. She felt at peace tonight. Walking arm in arm with the man she loved through London. If it weren't for the zeppelins above them, she could have sworn it was her old London and her old Doctor. Her thoughts drifted to him and he wondered if the Doctor was alright, if he was happy and at peace. She hoped so, she hated to think of him alone and miserable.

She slowed down when she suddenly heard a soft wheezing sound on the wind. She coulda sworn it sounded like…

She was going to dismiss the soft sound as coming from her imagination, except she could see that John had heard it too. Both of them were stood in the middle of the pavement with annoyed people walking around them. They looked at one another.

"Did you hear that?" Rose said to him.

"Yeah…I thought I was imagining it," John said.

"If you're imagining it, I am as well," Rose said. "Do you think he came back?"

John's face darkened.

"I don't know but if he thinks he's coming back here to get you…"

"John, I'm with you now, I'm not going anywhere," Rose said. "But he might need our help. We need to find him."

John nodded. They headed off towards the direction of the wheezing or what they thought was the right direction. They scanned the alleys each time they passed one but so far no luck. But as they were nearing one alley, a young man with sandy colored hair stepped out and looked around.

"We landed in London, Doctor," the man said, turning back around and speaking to someone in the alley before walking back down it.

Rose stopped John.

"Let me go first just in case he's still sore with you," she said to him.

John shrugged.

"Take your time, I'm not in any hurry to see him," he said, leaning against a brick wall.

Rose walked up to the alley and peeked inside. She saw two men and two women milling around the TARDIS. The young man was dressed in normal clothes but the other man looked like a university professor.

"Let me guess, the university professor is the Doctor," Rose muttered to herself.

Her heart lurched when she realized if that was him, he regenerated again. She regained her composure though, straightened her spine and walked into the alley. Everyone caught sight of her but only the university professor registered surprise and any sign of recognition and Rose's suspicions are confirmed.

"Rory, were there zeppelins in the sky when you checked," the Doctor said to Rory as Rose walked over to him.

"Zeppelins?" Rory said.

"Did you look up?"

Rory shook his head. The Doctor looked at Rose.

"Pete's World?" he said to her.

"Yup," Rose said. "Is that you, Doctor?"

"Yes, it is."

Rose smiled and embraced him. The Doctor hugged her tightly, thrilled to see her again. As he hugged her, he scanned his surroundings.

"My clone, where is he?" he said to Rose when he let go.

"Just outside, I told him to wait in case you were still angry at him," Rose said, stepping back.

"Why would I be angry?" the Doctor said, confused.

By now, Amy, Rory and River had gathered around Rose. She glanced at them.

"Hi, I'm Rose Tyler, I used to travel with the Doctor," she said to them.

"Amy Pond, I think I saw your photo once on the TARDIS monitor along with eight zillion other women," she said as the Doctor blushed. "This is my husband, Rory, and our daughter, River."

Rose did a double take when she looked at River and noticed she looked older than her parents.

"She's part Time Lady," Amy explained when Rose gave them a questioning look. "This is her third life."

"Oh. He's like my fiancé then," Rose said.

Now it was Amy, Rory and River's turn to be confused. They looked to the Doctor.

"Rose, can you go get my clone so they can meet him?" he said to her.

Rose nodded and they let her pass.

"Clone?" Amy said when Rose walked out of the alley.

"Yeah, long story but she's with a clone of myself," he said to them. "We're in a different universe, we crossed the void, the empty space between universes. That's why we had a bumpy ride going across."

"And this clone is part Time Lord?" Rory said.

"Yes, part Time Lord, part human like River," the Doctor said.

He gestured to him when Rose and John came into the alley. John paused a moment and stared at his counterpart when Rose pointed him out.

"Well, at least there'll be no trouble telling us apart now," John said as he and Rose resumed their pace.

"I'm not angry at you," the Doctor said, holding up his hand. "And I'm not here for Rose. To be honest, the TARDIS brought us here when I asked her to help me sort out something that's been bothering me recently."

John relaxed when he told him he wasn't angry and wasn't there for Rose.

"What is this…something then?" he asked the Doctor.

"Something that's affecting me and my other lives. I don't know what it is but I can sense the evil that's beginning to surround me and whisper into my mind. I don't know what it has to do with here but this is where the TARDIS took us," the Doctor said.

"Why don't you come with us then," Rose said. "We have a flat now and you can tell us what happened there instead of standing here in an alley."

The Doctor thanked her. John took Rose's hand and told everyone to follow them back to their flat.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The Doctor followed Rose and John while they walked back to their flat. He stared at Rose and smiled, thinking how beautiful she looked. The two of them were holding hands and looked happy, which is what he wanted for them. He wanted Rose to share her life with someone who could grow old with her, someone who could live a human life and be there for her in a way he never could. But as he thought about it, he realized that he had told Rose he could never love anyone the way she wanted him to love her and yet, here he was with his wife at his side. He realized that he had told Rose that when he was a completely different man but he still felt like a hypocrite now. He hoped Rose would understand.

"Have you seen this evil in person, Doctor?" John said over his shoulder as they walked.

"No. But it speaks to me in my mind, tells me to do evil things."

"Like what?" Rose said.

The Doctor swallowed hard.

"Like kill them," he said, gesturing to his family.

John and Rose looked at each other and stopped. The Doctor and his family stopped with him.

"And can you hear this…person now?" John asked him.

The Doctor fell silent and concentrated while everyone waited.

"Yes, but now the voice is so far away, I have to strain to hear it," he said after a moment of silence. "Before it was far louder and more insistent. Now I can easily ignore it."

"So it's not here then," John said. "In our universe, I mean. Otherwise, it would be louder, right?"

"Yeah," the Doctor nodded.

"Can you hear this voice, John?" Rose said to her fiancé.

John shook his head.

"I don't have my full Time Lord mind anymore so I'm not linked to him telepathically," he said, gesturing to the Doctor.

"John?" Rory said.

"John Smith, at your service," John said, extending his hand. "I no longer go by the Doctor since I'm really not the same man as him anymore. I'm part human so I took a human name. And you are…"

"Rory Williams," he said, shaking his hand. "This is my wife, Amy, and daughter, River."

"Yes, I know who this is," John said, nodding to River.

River was taken aback by that. She glanced at her husband.

"I met you once in my tenth body, you haven't gotten to that point yet," the Doctor said to her. "My clone was born after that event so he retains all my memories."

River nodded in understanding.

"Pleasure to meet you," he said, shaking John's hand.

The Doctor decided to go for broke since he knew the information would come out sooner or later.

"River's my wife," he said to Rose and John.

He flinched at the shocked look on Rose's face. John was shocked as well but the Doctor could see pain mixed with the shock on Rose's face. John, however, was staring at River and he could tell his counterpart was working things out.

"Okay, the previous encounter is beginning to make more sense now," John said to the Doctor. "Especially when Lux accused you of fighting like an old married couple."

The Doctor chuckled at the memory. He looked at Rose and gave her an apologetic look. Rose smiled and extended her hand to River.

"Nice to meet you," she said.

"And you," River said, shaking her hand.

The Doctor smiled, knowing that Rose was going to be civil to his wife and was making the effort to be friends with her. He breathed out a soft sigh of relief, knowing there wouldn't be an enormous catfight between his former lover and his wife. John took Rose's hand and gave it a squeeze before he told everyone to follow them.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Rose remained silent the rest of the way home. But her mind was swirling with emotions. She loved John more than anything but the fact that the Doctor was married after telling her he couldn't do anything like that because he was a Time Lord. She kept looking straight ahead but she could feel his eyes on her as they walked.

"We should speak to Pete, maybe Torchwood's found something that's related to this evil he's feeling," John said to Rose as they walked.

Rose nodded and John squeezed her hand, sensing her distress. He knew she was in shock and to be honest, so was he. He figured River was an intimate of the Doctor, especially since she knew his real name. But his wife? He figured the Doctor would never commit to something like that in his old age. They remained silent until they reached the flat. John opened the door and let everyone inside. He shut the door behind them and asked if they would like some tea. When they told him yes, he hurried to the kitchen. Rose excused herself and went to her bedroom for a moment, intending to change into something more casual but also to come to terms with the fact that the Doctor was married now before helping him with his problem.

She went to the bedroom she shared with John and closed the door. She was slipping out of her dress when she heard a soft knocking on her door.

"Rose? Can I talk to you for a moment?" the Doctor said through the door.

Rose's heart lurched but she told the Doctor to wait a moment while she shimmied out of her dress and high heels. She threw on a pair of spandex shorts and a white t-shirt before opening the door. The Doctor smiled.

"You look beautiful," he said. "May I come in?"

Rose nodded and the Doctor entered the room. Rose shut the door and the Doctor sighed and turned to her.

"I know I must look like a hypocrite now," he said to her. "But when I told you that curse of the Time Lords stuff, I was a different man. I don't believe in that anymore. The other me was morose and a bit of a drama queen and frankly, needed a bit of a slap in the head sometimes."

Rose chuckled at that and the Doctor smiled.

"I sent you back here with John because I thought that perhaps you and John could make a life together," he said. "I was counting on it and I'm chuffed that it's actually happened."

"And you moved on with your life as well," Rose said.

"Yes, I did. But…I never forgot you and you are still in my hearts, Rose, and always will be. I have two hearts as you're well aware and I think my two hearts are big enough to hold all the people I hold dear to me."

"Are you happy with her?" Rose asked.

"Yes."

"That's all that matters to me," Rose said. "I don't want you to be along and unhappy. Lord knows you had enough of that in your life…lives. If she makes you happy, then I don't bear her ill will."

"I saw that. I'm glad you made an effort to be cordial," the Doctor said.

"Well, I can't be cross at her, I don't even know her," Rose said. "It would be terrible if I blame her for stealing my man when she doesn't even know me. All that matters to me is your happiness. I love you and I always will but I told John I want to be with him and we are engaged now and I won't break it off."

"Good, I don't want you to," the Doctor said. "I want you to be happy as well, Rose. I want you to have a long and happy life and I thought that perhaps you could find that with John."

"John is wonderful," Rose said. "And he's not a psychopath, despite what you think."

"Well, that was mainly an excuse to keep you with him," the Doctor said. "I've committed genocide in the past so it really wasn't cricket for me to blame him for something I've done myself. And his hearts was in the right place since he was saving the universe from the Daleks. Nice to know, he's a good man and he's become the sort of man who could grow old with you. I did all this because I love you, Rose, despite what it looked like on that day."

"I know," Rose said, nodding.

"I'm just sorry that he turned and left you without a goodbye but he had to do that and make himself leave before he took you back from John."

Rose nodded and smiled when the Doctor kissed her forehead.

"Friends?" he asked her.

"Friends," Rose said, taking his hand.

He squeezed it and gave her another kiss on the head.

"Good, I'm glad we had this talk. I think it needed to be said," he said to her.

"I'm just glad you have a family now," Rose said. "You still have a family here as well."

"Good," the Doctor said. "The more the merrier, eh? So, shall we have some tea and put our minds together to solve the problem?"

Rose nodded. The Doctor squeezed her hand and put his hand on her shoulder as she stood up and left the room with him.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

After having the talk, Rose felt better about being around River and her parents. She was being truthful when she told him that his happiness was all that mattered to her. Ever since she was separated from him, she'd been terrified that he'd ended up alone and depressed. It was the reason she wanted to stay with him forever so he'd never be alone ever again. She didn't know River and River didn't know her, so how could she be angry at her? She had nothing to do with their separation and she seemed like a nice woman. She had learned her lesson with Sarah Jane and she was determined to be friends with a fellow traveling companion of the Doctor rather than hate her for supposedly stealing her man away. So she sat beside River and sipped tea while the Doctor sat on the floor with John and explained the situation and what he knew about the voice and its purpose. When he finished, John rose to his feet and sipped his tea while he walked around the room.

"What you're describing," John finally said to the Doctor. "It sounds like the time your first five lives were snatched away to the Death Zone on Gallifrey. When the Doctors began to be snatched out of time, you felt the effects then, yeah?"

"Yes, but this seems different. I could feel the disappearance of my other selves, this time it feels like they're being corrupted."

"How do you mean, corrupted?" Rory said.

"Being turned to evil," the Doctor said. "There's a sense of evil all around me, I can feel it."

"And it's telling you to kill us?" Amy said.

"Among other things," the Doctor said. "It's telling me to become evil but killing you is part of it. It's urging me to embrace my dark side. I fear some of my other selves have already gave in."

"You're becoming evil?" Rose said, alarmed.

"You're not evil, Doctor," Amy said.

"No, but I have a dark side, we all do," the Doctor said. "Everyone has some level of darkness in their souls."

"But that doesn't mean we all become evil," Rory said.

"Yes, but you only have one life. I have thirteen lives worth of darkness to contend with," the Doctor said.

"So both ends are being corrupted? Past and future lives," John said.

"Yes. I feel like that is happening," the Doctor said. "Whatever is going on, it's affecting all my lives."

"Kovarian," River said.

"Hmm?" the Doctor said.

"Perhaps someone like Kovarian is kidnapping you near the beginning of your life and corrupting you like she did with me," River said.

The Doctor took a sip of tea while he considered that.

"Or perhaps…"

He looked at John.

"Yes?" he said when John didn't elaborate. "Perhaps…"

John shook his head.

"No, he died," John said.

"Who died?" River said.

"He was called the Valeyard. He's a physical manifestation of the Doctor's dark sides, his evil made flesh but he was trapped in the Matrix on Gallifrey and the Matrix was destroyed with Gallifrey. I was just thinking this would be the sort of thing he'd do."

"Perhaps. But we always thought the Master was gone and he kept resurfacing. At the moment, I'll accept that perhaps he escaped the Matrix somehow and is responsible for this."

"But why did we come here then?" Amy said. "Is this Valeyard bloke here?"

"Dunno," the Doctor said.

"I doubt it. Since you said the voice is fainter now," John said.

"Maybe the TARDIS brought you here to save you from this evil," Rose said. "Maybe this is a safe haven so you don't turn evil."

"That could be," the Doctor said, nodding. "Take me away from whatever is affecting my other selves so I'm free to figure out a solution."

"You're welcome to stay here," Rose said. "Move your TARDIS in here and stay while you sort this out."

"And we work at Torchwood so perhaps they have something that could help," John said.

"Oh, so they pulled you in to their little web, eh?" the Doctor said to him.

John snorted and smiled.

"Yeah, better than being a burger flipper, I s'pose," he said with a shrug. "I get to work with Rose, I get to work with alien tech and keep an eye on this Torchwood, lest it get out of control."

"Good man," the Doctor said. "Well, now that we know where you live, shall we go and fetch the TARDIS and bring it here?"

Amy, Rory and River nodded.

"You're right," the Doctor said to Rose. "Not only can we keep it safe in here but we can use its resources as well so we're not eating you out of house and home and clogging up the rooms with our sleeping bodies."

He also wanted to take the time to explain about Rose on the walk back and tell River about her and his past relationship. He sincerely wanted the two of them to get along and become friends since he figured they had a lot in common. Not to mention, he wanted to give Rose and John some alone time as well. So he asked his family to come with him while they went to retrieve the TARDIS from the alley.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

On the walk back, the Doctor told them about Rose as he held his wife's hand and explained about John and briefly told them how he came to be. Amy and Rory were stunned by his story but River nodded when he told them about Rose being his former lover.

"Well, if John's your clone, I suppose it'd make sense that you loved her since he loves her," she said to him. "Do you still love her?"

"Yes," he said, nodding. "I will always love her but I'm glad she's with John. She's faithful to him and I'm faithful to you. I want to remain friends with her and I hope you lot will be friends with her and John as well. They're good people."

"Perhaps that's what you need right now," River said. "Good people surrounding you and fighting off the negative energy of this entity."

"At the moment, I need all the friends I can get," the Doctor said.

They reached the alley but when they turned into it, they stopped short when they saw a second TARDIS beside the first. The four of them stared at it for a moment.

"There isn't a St. John's badge on the second one," Rory pointed out.

The Doctor walked up to the door of the second TARDIS and knocked on it. There was silence for a moment and then the door opened and the Doctor stepped back when he saw the Tenth Doctor standing in the doorway. He looked haggard and his face was thin and drawn. The Eleventh Doctor felt his counterpart probing his mind for a moment, confirming his identity.

"Where am I? I need help," the Tenth Doctor rasped out.

"You're in Pete's World, you're safe," Eleven told him.

"They're coming for me, they're coming for you," Ten rasped out.

"The evil is after him as well?" Amy said.

"I said, it was affecting all of us," Eleven said to her.

"It wants me to join them," Ten said, grabbing his jacket. "And you, all of us."

"I know. But you're away from it now. Just follow me; I can take you to Rose and John the Clone. I was brought here to get away from it as well. Who are you traveling with?"

"No one, I just left Donna behind," Ten said, his head bowing.

"Okay, come with us, we'll get to safety and sort this out," Eleven said.

Ten nodded and the Doctor gave him the directions to Rose and John's flat.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Rose stood with John inside their kitchen. John was busy preparing a fresh pot of tea but Rose was leaning against the counter, her expression morose. John looked at her.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he said.

"I'm worried about the Doctor. What is this thing that's trying to hurt him," Rose said. "You said, Valeyard. Do you think it's this evil version that's trying to take him over?"

"Dunno," John said, shaking his head. "I'm just thankful for once that I'm not connected to him, otherwise I'd probably be affected as well. Maybe that's what he needs, someone like us and his companions who are immune to this thing. We can think clearly and help him. Don't worry, Arkytior, we'll find a solution to this."

Rose nodded and he stroked her cheek. Then they heard the TARDIS wheezing as it materialized inside the lounge.

"I'll get it," Rose said, "You tend to the tea."

"Yes, Ma'am," John said with a salute.

Rose started to go into the lounge when she suddenly heard a second distinct wheezing. She entered the lounge and froze when she saw a second TARDIS appearing alongside the first.

"John, look," Rose said.

John came outside and raised his eyebrow when he saw the second TARDIS. The first one opened and the Doctor and his family came outside.

"Found someone else in the alley," the Doctor said.

The door to the second TARDIS opened and Rose's mouth dropped when she saw Ten step out. He saw Rose and froze as he locked eyes with her.

"Rose," he said softly.

Then he saw John and he averted his eyes and turned to shut the door of his TARDIS. Rose glanced at her fiancé before walking over to Ten.

"The evil whatever it is, it's calling to you as well?" she said to him.

Ten nodded and Rose took his hand.

"Come and sit and have some tea," she said to him.

"Thank you," he said before letting her escort him to the sofa.

Eleven walked over to him as he sat down and Rose went to get him some tea.

"Did you see anything of this entity?" Eleven asked him.

"I…I saw something but it wasn't the entity but it has some of us in its thrall, whatever it is," he said as everyone else gathered around him. "Here, the voice isn't as loud, I can think again."

Eleven nodded.

"I asked the TARDIS to bring me somewhere where I could sort out what was happening and it brought me here, the voice is still a whisper but I can ignore it."

Ten nodded.

"I didn't ask, the TARDIS just brought me here. Maybe she thought the same thing as your TARDIS."

"Your safe here, Doctor," Amy said.

The Doctor looked at her and smiled. He looked at Rory and then he saw River and he stared at her in shock. Eleven chuckled.

"I suppose introductions and an explanation is in order," he said to Ten.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Rose brought him tea and a couple of ham sandwiches. Ten accepted them gratefully and when everyone was settled, Eleven explained who everyone was before asking him to give them any information about the entity. Ten took a sip of tea, trying to calm his nerves before he spoke.

"This…thing, whatever it is, wants me to kill or do something evil, give in to my dark nature," he said.

"That's what it wanted our Doctor to do, kill all of us," Amy said to him.

"I think that's what it needs," Ten said after nodding. "It needs us to succumb to our dark natures and killing the ones we hold dear sorta seals the deal. It wanted me to let Donna die and I had to fight myself and my dark urges to save her. I managed to overcome it but it was one hell of a struggle. But after I left her behind, things got worse. The voice tormented me and showed me visions."

"What sort of visions?" River said.

Ten thought for a moment and then asked everyone to follow him. He got up and walked to his TARDIS. Unlocking it, he asked everyone to follow him. Amy and Rory were stunned when they saw the organic interior of the console room but they kept on walking and Ten led them out of the room and down a couple of corridors to another room. He unlocked a heavy oak door and went inside. Inside the room was a gigantic stone room with a huge circular stain glass window. There were bats flying around but none of them took any notice of Ten and his friends as they went down a flight of stone steps.

"What is this room?" Rory said, looking around as they descended the steps to the stone floor.

"This is the Cloister Room, isn't it?" River said.

"Yes, I haven't been in here in awhile, not since my eighth life but this is called the Cloister Room," Ten said. "Here is where the vision took place."

They stepped off the stairs onto an enormous stone floor. The bats continued to fly above their heads and Amy glanced up, terrified they'd be pooing on their heads in a moment.

"Here," Ten said, pointing to the floor in front of them. "I was standing here and on the floor was a glowing pentagram. I was in the middle of the glowing pentagram and I felt this evil energy and there was nothing but darkness all around me. Evil shadows like the Vashta Nerada," he said, glancing at Eleven when he said that. "And then out of these shadows, eleven robed figures came and stood around me. They looked like monks and this voice told me that I couldn't fight him and I would join them soon. I asked whoever it was to explain what that meant and one of the monks stepped forward and pulled down his cowl and…"

He shuddered and had to compose himself before speaking.

"It was our fifth body. Except he was emaciated and filthy and his eyes were sunken and he was drooling and…insane," Ten said. "He stood there and the voice told me that he had put up a good struggle but in the end, he let Peri die and took the bat's milk antidote for himself. That's what turned him to the darkness, letting her die. Then…"

He looked at Rose with anguish.

"I saw my ninth self," he said. "He came forward and pulled down his cowl and he was also dirty and emaciated. They looked like ghouls, to be honest. The voice said that he turned because he slaughtered Jackie and Mickey."

He looked at Rose.

"He tried to kill you as well but you escaped," he said, his hearts hurting at the shocked look on Rose's face.

"But if he killed Jackie and Mickey in the past, then they shouldn't exist now," John said.

Rose glanced at him and quickly pulled out her mobile. She phoned her mother and looked at John fearfully when she got a recording saying the number was no longer in service. She ended the call and tried Pete's number.

"Dad, do you know where Mum is?" Rose said when he answered.

They watched while Rose listened, a frown on her face.

"What do you mean, who am I? I'm Rose, your stepdaughter," she said while Eleven and Ten shared a look. "Rose, remember, I…he hung up," Rose said to the others. "Says he doesn't know who I am."

"Because Jackie and Mickey were killed during my ninth life," Ten said. "They're dead, Rose. They never came here."

"Then what am I doing here?" Rose said. "What's John doing here if Mum and Mickey died."

"I'm guessing the timelines compensated and you came here in a different way," Eleven said. "My tenth self is still here so you and Donna still traveled with him. He probably still lost his hand and John was still created but in a slightly different way than before. Jackie never really traveled with us and Mickey didn't travel for long. Time probably would have changed drastically if you'd been killed but with Jackie and Mickey, it was just a minor bump in the timeline. Time can be rewritten if necessary."

Rose was in shock and John put his hands on her shoulders when he saw the anguish on her face.

"So does that mean the other Jackie is still alive?" Rose said to Ten. "The Cyberman invasion never happened?"

"I'm not sure, Rose," Ten said. "It could have though. We still could have come here and that could have happened. The only difference is Mickey wouldn't have been with us. But if that's so, Jake could have given me the code to the inhibitor instead of Mickey. Like my other self said, time can be rewritten and compensated for when it's necessary. Although…Pete didn't seem to know you so maybe it happened differently. Who knows? All I know is the vision indicated that my ninth self had succumbed to the darkness."

"God," Rose said, shaking his head while John squeezed her shoulders.

"And you saw eleven robed figures?" Eleven said. "So that means, you and I…"

"We're the only ones left," Ten said grimly. "The only ones that haven't been turned yet."

"Then the TARDIS really did take us here to protect us," Ten said.

"How do we stop it?" Amy said. "How do we reverse this?"

Eleven was about to say something when he saw Ten hold up his hand.

"I think it begins with Jack the Ripper," he said. "That was another part of my vision. This thing, this puppet master or whatever it is told me that he was called the Ripper and I got the sense that he meant Jack the Ripper. I think in order to stop this, we have to go back to Victorian London and stop the Ripper before he begins his murder spree."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Rose walked into the kitchen, trying to mentally process everything she'd just heard. She was washing out her mug when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned to see the tenth Doctor standing in the doorway.

"I'm sorry I left you here without saying goodbye," he said to her.

"I understand why you did, your other self spoke to me about it. I'm not angry," Rose said.

"I would never hurt you, Rose. I don't know why my ninth self would try to kill you. He wouldn't have hurt you either."

"What if it isn't true, Doctor. What if this thing is messing with your head and making you think this stuff to get you to turn evil," Rose said.

"But you just tried to ring your mum and she's not here and Pete's never heard of you, so why did that happen if nothing happened to Jackie and Mickey? There's something out there, even my other self feels it. I don't think it was just a fantasy to torment me, I think it's happened and me and the other bloke in there are the only ones left now. Well, apart from John but John isn't connected to us so he's not in danger of turning like we are."

"And you think that Jack the Ripper is doing all this?" Rose said.

"Well, someone claiming to be him, at any rate," the Doctor said. "Makes me wonder if Jackie and Mickey and Peri were torn to shreds then. God…I'm killing my friends and companions," he said, putting his head in his hands.

Rose walked over to him and embraced him.

"You'll fight this, we'll help you, all of us," Rose said.

"Just promise me one thing," the Doctor said as he held her. "If I look like I'm going to kill you, run. Just run, don't try to help me, alright?"

"I promise," Rose said.

The Doctor kissed her cheek and rubbed her back before letting go.

"I wonder who else is dead now," he said sadly. "Susan, Sarah Jane, Romana? Did my other selves kill them to land up like this?"

Rose's heart was in her throat. She put her hand on his back, wishing she could help dispel the torment he felt inside. Ten smiled tenderly at her and put his hand on her cheek before both of them stepped outside. The others were conferring silently in the lounge. They looked at Ten when he and Rose came into the room and Eleven stood up.

"I think we might have a partial solution," Eleven said to Ten.

"Yes?" Ten said.

"Do what we did when the Family was harassing us. Use the chameleon arch and take our minds offline for the moment. Perhaps if we switch identities, the entity won't be able to harass us. I explained to them what it is and what it would mean and they could keep the watches safe for us until we're ready to switch back."

"But the TARDISes, he could still track those and if it's the Valeyard, he'd know what we look like," Ten said. "How would we deal with both of those scenarios?"

"Well, with the TARDIS, we can remove the telepathic circuit so the Valeyard or Ripper or whoever it is can't find it, at least not telepathically. As for our appearance, we could use the TARDIS to alter our appearances, all of us, so the Ripper will hopefully be fooled."

"And this lot would be entrusted with the telepathic circuits as well?" Ten said.

Eleven nodded. Ten turned to everyone.

"If we do this, you must guard these items at all costs," Ten said to them. "The fob watches will hold our essence inside them. Without that, we won't be able to become the Doctor and we'll be trapped in the other persona. The telepathic circuit is what allows us to communicate with the TARDIS, it's part of the reason why she's a living thing. Without it, the TARDIS will be just a machine. So in essence, you will be guarding both our souls and the TARDISes as well. Just letting you know what's at stake here. Will you do this for us?"

"Yes," the Children of Time said without hesitation.

Eleven chuckled.

"Nice to have friends, eh?" he said to his counterpart.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

In the end, the Doctors decided to leave Ten's TARDIS behind in the flat for safe keeping while they went back across the void. In addition, John brought along the coral from the flat so there would be a chance to grow another TARDIS should the Doctor's TARDIS be captured or destroyed. Ten examined the coral which was now the size of a softball.

"Coming along nicely," he said to John and Rose while he ran his hand over the coral surface. "Donna was right when she told you how to increase the growth rate. Good old Donna. Blimey, I hope she's alright and Wilf and I suppose Sylvia, although she was a pain in the neck at times."

He handed it back to John.

"Keep it safe, John. If something happens to this TARDIS, you'll have to grow this coral in order to get back to this universe and my TARDIS," he said.

"I will, along with everything else," John said.

"I'll lend you one of my trousers with the bigger on the inside pockets so you can have it with you at all times," Ten said.

There was a pause as the two men stared at each other. Ten dropped his eyes to the floor.

"I'm sorry for the way I treated you," he said.

John held up his hand.

"Water under the bridge. What's done is done," he said. "You did what you thought was right. Besides, this isn't the time to split hairs. You need all the help you can get right now."

"Thank you," Ten said gratefully.

"Besides, the last thing you need is another dark, guilty thought plaguing your mind, not with the Ripper trying to get at you," John said.

Ten nodded and smiled when John patted his shoulder.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

When they got airborne, Eleven prepared to go back over the void while the others went into the wardrobe room. They had agreed to go to modern day London first, to check on it and see if anything had changed before jumping back to Victorian London. After that, both Doctors would undergo the chameleon arch and the TARDIS would have her telepathic circuit removed.

"You lot have to watch us carefully until we change because once we're back over the void, the voice will be stronger and probably more insistent," Ten said to everyone as they stood inside the wardrobe room. "Me and my other self will fight it but we can't stay in London very long, not as we are. We need to change so our minds will become human and go offline as my other self puts it. Hopefully, that will be enough to throw the Ripper off the scent and we can stop him."

"So we're going to change history and prevent Jack the Ripper from killing anyone?" Rory said.

"I don't know," Ten said, shaking his head. "I certainly hope we can but our main objective is finding and stopping him, whether or not he's killed anyone. But since we know when the murders start, we can go back far enough that we'll land before the first murder is committed. Maybe we can intercept him then."

"But I don't understand, Doctor," Rose said. "If you're going to become a whole new person, how will you remember all of this?"

"I can program the arch to allow me a glimmer of my old self, enough to know that I need to track down the ripper. I was thinking I could pose as an inspector, that way I would have a reason for tracking down the Ripper in the first place. I won't remember being the Doctor but subconsciously, there will still be a hint of me. I have to do that anyway so I'll have an awareness of all of you. Otherwise, I'll think you're just a bunch of random people and want nothing to do with you."

"And so we'll have to make up identities for ourselves to fit in with that," River said.

"Yes but…you're married to my other self so you could still be his wife," Ten said. "John could be another inspector, Rose could be his fiancée and I suppose Rory could also be an inspector and Amy would be his wife. They didn't have women detectives at that time so you women will have to pretend to be housewives who help us out or something like that. The only problem is if this is the Valeyard, he'll know all of you so you also have to disguise yourselves as a precaution. The TARDIS can help with that. Also, you lot have to be very dogged about protecting me and my other self because we're not gonna remember that someone is hunting us so if we say something nasty or tell you to piss off, don't take it personal."

"What about Sarah Jane or Donna?" Rose said. "Can't they help as well?"

"Dunno," Ten said. "At the moment, I'll be glad if they're still alive. We'll see when we land."

He gritted his teeth when the room began to shudder and shake.

"Here we go," he said to them. "Back over the void and back into the fray."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

The moment they landed, the Tenth Doctor felt the voice increase in strength and volume.

"Kill them, Doctor, kill them all," he heard inside his mind.

"Shut up," the Doctor said, holding his hands to his head and gritting his teeth.

"It's back?" Rose said, worried.

"It never really left but now it's stronger and louder. TARDIS, is there something you can do to dampen this bloody voice?" he said through clenched teeth to his ship.

There was a flash and a silver necklace with a silver cube pendant dangled in front of his face. He took it in his hand and stared at it for a moment before putting it around his neck. He breathed a sigh of relief when the voice was muted back to the same level it was when they were over the void.

"That cube thing must be some sort of damper, the voice is softer again, just the annoying buzz like it was in Pete's World. Thanks, old girl, give one to my other self as well. I'm sure he'll appreciate it."

They walked up to the console room to check on the Eleventh Doctor.

"This necklace appeared in front of my face and suddenly the git was dampened," he said to Ten. "Was that your doing?"

"Partly, I asked the TARDIS for help and she gave this to me," he said, showing it his pendant.

"Good old girl," Eleven said, patting the rim of the console. "Blimey, I'll miss her when I'm not me."

"No, you won't because you won't remember her when you're not you," Ten said to him.

"But if I'm not me, how can I remember I'm me if I'm not me because I won't be me," Eleven said.

"Well, if you're not you then you won't remember you are you so there's no need to worry about whether you're you or not you," Ten said.

"Are you finished now?" River said while John snickered.

"Sorry, dear, just trying to sort out what will happen to me when I'm not me," Eleven said to her. "Cause I won't be me because me will be someone else…so I won't be me."

"I'll be you," John said, "sorta."

"Ah, he'll be us so that's sorted now," Eleven said to Ten.

Ten came up to his clone and placed his hands on John's shoulders.

"John, my friend, and I sincerely hope we are friends," he said solemnly. "I entrust you with the unenviable task of being us because we won't be us so someone has to be us because we can't be us so you have to be us, you see?"

"Jesus, he's as bad as you are," River said to her husband.

"Jesus, is that who I am? I thought I was me but I'm not me, I'm Jesus," Eleven said.

River swatted his head when everyone laughed at that.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Eleven opened the door of his TARDIS and stepped outside. He had landed the TARDIS near Sarah Jane's house so he could check on her. He immediately sensed something was wrong when he saw the deserted, trashy streets. The others came out and looked around.

"Where is everyone?" Rose said.

"I don't know but I don't like this," Eleven said. "Come on, everyone, let's find Sarah and see if she's alright."

They were several houses down from hers but both Doctors could sense that something was horribly wrong. A lot of the houses looked rundown with boards over some of the windows and neglect everywhere. No one was in sight and there was no sign of lights or tellys running or anything electrical. Both Doctors shared a glance before all of them hurried towards Sarah Jane's house. When they reached her house, they noticed it also suffered from neglect and all the windows on the ground floor were boarded up.

"What the hell is this? It looks like a war zone," Amy said as they ran up to the front door.

"God, I hope not," John said as Ten pounded on the door and called for Sarah Jane.

Ten left off on the pounding and waited. At first no one answered and Ten thought Sarah Jane was gone. Then the door slowly opened and he could see her eye looking through the narrow slit between the door and the doorway.

"Sarah, it's me, it's us, the Doctors and Rose and a few others, can we come in?" Ten said to her.

"You're alive," Sarah Jane said, opening the door a bit more.

"Yes, I am. Can we come in?" Ten said.

"I haven't seen you since Deffrey Vale," Sarah Jane said. "And Rose…but who is this?" she said, looking at Eleven.

Eleven frowned.

"You don't remember? I met you when you and Jo were taken by the Shansheeth."

"Shansheeth? No, I don't know what this is and I don't know who Jo is," Sarah Jane said, shaking his head. "I know him and I know Rose because I helped them stop the Krillitane."

"What about my third and fourth selves, did you know them?" Ten said.

"Um…no, I've only met you once, at Deffrey Vale."

Eleven cursed under his breath.

"May we come in, Sarah?" Ten said.

"Yes. Wait, there's another you?" Sarah Jane said when she spied John. "Do you have twin brother then?"

"In a manner of speaking," Ten said.

"Come inside then before someone sees you," Sarah Jane said, opening the door all the way.

Everyone came inside. Ten noticed that Sarah Jane was rushing them inside while peering out the door in a tense and scared manner.

"Sarah, what's going on? Why are the houses all dilapidated now, where are all the people at?" Ten said to her.

"You don't know?" Sarah Jane said, shutting the door and locking it.

"No, I've been…time traveling," Ten said. "And time has been altered. So please tell us what's been going on here."

"Follow me," Sarah Jane said. "Just keep quiet as much as you can. You don't want the Jacksprites hearing you."

"Jacksprites?" Eleven muttered to Ten while they followed Sarah Jane.

They noticed that no electricity was being used; only burning candles. The house was barely furnished. No TV or electronics, just a few chairs and a sofa and a few tables, the very basics. Sarah Jane told them to sit in the lounge and they sat wherever they could since there were only two chairs and the sofa. Sarah Jane sat down in front of them and apologized for not offering them tea or food.

"Rolling blackouts," she said, pointing to the candles.

"Rolling blackouts?" John said. "Why?"

"Because the UK is bankrupt and under siege at the moment," Sarah Jane said. "Most people are afraid to use electricity when there aren't blackouts because it attracts attention. How much do you know, Doctor?" she said to Ten.

"Um…apparently not very much now," Ten said. "So why don't you start at the beginning. Who are the Jacksprites?"

"Disciples of Jack the Ripper," Sarah Jane said. "Young people who strap scalpel blades to their fingers and go around ripping people apart in imitation of Jack. That's where Luke went," she said, lowering her eyes. "There was nothing for him here so he and his friends joined the Jacksprites."

"Wait? Luke and Clyde and Rani?" Eleven said. "They're out ripping people apart?"

Sarah Jane nodded.

"I tried to talk him out of it but most teens join the Jacksprites sooner or later. The alternative is living in squalor, especially since the schools are no longer open."

She nodded at the shocked looks on everyone's faces.

"Most people are afraid to go out now, let alone go to school," she said. "England has been devastated beyond repair. Still, there is a glimmer of hope now."

"And that glimmer of hope is…" John said.

"Well, since we've become the fifty first state, President Obama has agreed to help get the UK back on its feet again."

"Wait, you mean the US owns all of the UK now?" Amy said.

"The US has been propping us up for years now so they took the next step and just made the UK a part of America."

"No way," Amy said. "I'm an American citizen now?"

"But why has the UK fallen so low?" Eleven said to Sarah Jane.

"Because ever since Jack the Ripper started terrorizing the country, England has been in a state of fear and panic. And then came the Jacksprites and the wraiths and the economy faltered and never recovered."

"Wraiths?" Ten said.

"That's what everyone calls them. They're formless beings that do what the Jacksprites do. Actually, they predate the Jacksprites. They appear and disappear at will and kill randomly. No one knows when they're going to strike next. The Jacksprites are like that as well. They kill in imitation of the wraiths and they take what they want when they want because most people have abandoned the shops and businesses and stay boarded up inside their homes. You risk your life just going to get your daily rations from the government centers. I stopped being a journalist because most people don't have the money to buy newspapers or magazines, not when they're just trying to survive and buy the basics to keep going. And hardly anyone switches on the telly because they're afraid the noise draws the Jacksprites and there are the blackouts to conserve energy. It's a mess, Doctor. The whole country is one big mess now."

"I'll say," River said.

"And you have no idea where Luke, Clyde and Rani are at the moment?" Eleven said.

"No," Sarah Jane said, shaking her head. "There are heaps of abandoned buildings that the Jacksprites have taken over. Not to mention the tube tunnels are havens for them as well as the homeless. The military boarded up the entrances to the tube to prevent people from going down there but I suppose the people who live there have ways of getting down there."

"Doctor, should we check on Donna?" Rose said to them.

Eleven and Ten shared a glance.

"Should we risk Donna remembering us?" Ten asked.

"I'll go, she doesn't know this face," Eleven said.

"Where does she live?" Sarah Jane said.

"Chiswick," Ten said.

"As far as I know, Chiswick hasn't been as hard hit as we have but they probably still have blackouts and problems with the Jacksprites," Sarah Jane said.

"Sarah, do you want to come with us?" Ten said. "My TARDIS is impregnable and perhaps you can help us get time back on track."

Sarah Jane mulled that over for a moment.

"I suppose there's no other alternative," she said. "I don't know where Luke is and it's probably a matter of time before the Jacksprites get me."

"Come with us then," John said. "You helped at Deffrey Vale and we could use all the help we can get right now."

Sarah Jane nodded.

"Okay, I'll go," she said, rising to her feet.

"What about K9?" Eleven said.

"You mean that robot dog of yours? He was blown to bits when the school exploded," Sarah Jane said with a shrug.

"So…you never traveled with him," Eleven said, pointing to the Doctor. "You just helped him once."

"That's right. I was investigating this school and he and Rose turn up with K9. I helped them save the children and they left afterwards. I haven't seen either of them until tonight."

"I'm guessing it's because you and me are the only Doctors left," Ten said to Eleven. "If our third body was corrupted before she met him, she wouldn't have traveled with him and been there when he regenerated."

"Yes, I'm guessing that's the reason as well," Eleven said while Sarah Jane stared at them in a befuddled silence. "No matter, she's here now. So follow us, Sarah. We'll get inside the TARDIS and then go to Chiswick to check on Donna and her family."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Eleven was in shock while he stood at the console to the TARDIS. Everything that Sarah Jane told them and the fact that Luke, Clyde and Rani were out ripping people to bits now stunned him to the very core of his being. If the Valeyard was truly behind all this, it terrified him even more, especially since the Valeyard was in essence himself. If he was capable of generating and inspiring this much evil and depravity in the world…

The TARDIS stopped and powered down and he composed himself, presenting a calm persona to his friends and family as he walked towards them.

"I tried to land as close as I could to Donna's house but I still want it kept out of sight so it doesn't trigger her memory. I'll go though, the rest of you stay here."

"I'll go with you," Sarah Jane said. "I know more than you about the situation out there."

"And I'll go because you need some protection, especially since something evil is trying to influence you now," River said.

"I'll go, I'm a nurse, I could help if people are injured," Rory said.

"And I'm going just because," Amy said.

"Okay. John, Doctor and Rose, you stay here. She's seen all of you before," he said.

Eleven led Sarah Jane and his family towards the front door. He opened it and Amy gasped as they froze and stared at something right outside the door.

"This is what I was on about," Sarah Jane said wearily to Eleven.

Ten, John and Rose came down the steps and everyone made room for them. Rose gasped when she saw a mangled corpse in the road a few feet from the TARDIS. It had been a woman but that was all they could glean from the remains since the corpse had been ripped up beyond recognition. Rose backed up and John held her when she put her hand over her mouth, trying not to gag as bile rose up in her throat.

"This happens on a daily basis now," Sarah Jane said dully as she pointed to the corpse. "People are afraid to remove most of the bodies since Jacksprites might be watching. So they leave them there to rot and be devoured by animals."

"And I suppose animals have turned feral because of it," Eleven said.

Sarah Jane nodded grimly. Eleven stepped outside and looked around. The street was deserted and the houses were dilapidated and boarded up like the ones in Ealing. The Doctor wrinkled his nose as the smell of rot from the corpse assailed him and he turned on his respiratory bypass system to avoid smelling it. He looked around but couldn't see anyone. Donna's house was four down from them so he nodded to his family and Sarah Jane and they stepped outside. Ten wished them luck and shut the doors behind them as they walked around the corpse and made their way to Donna's house. The sky was overcast and Sarah Jane glanced up at it.

"We need to hurry. When it rains, it rains acid rain," she said to them.

"Lovely," Amy said. "And I thought London was rubbish before. Now it seems like paradise compared to this."

They walked up to the front door of Donna's house and River and Sarah Jane kept an eye out for Jacksprites while Eleven knocked on the door. He noticed that all the windows on the ground floor had been boarded up like Sarah Jane's house and anger shot through his mind at the devastation that the Ripper had brought about. As before, the door opened a crack and Eleven flinched a bit when he saw Donna eyeing him through the gap.

"Yeah?" she said to him.

"We were concerned about you, Miss Noble," Eleven said, realizing that since Donna didn't know him, it would be harder to convince her that they were friends.

"Why? I'm not breaking curfew or any other laws," Donna spat at him.

"Curfew?" Eleven said to Sarah Jane.

"Yes, there's a curfew. Anyone out after eight could be shot by the military," Sarah Jane said, glancing back at him.

Eleven shook his head in disgust and smiled warmly at Donna.

"I was wondering if we might speak to you and your family, Miss Noble," he said as warmly as he could.

"What family? My family were ripped apart by Jacksprites," Donna said angrily.

Eleven flinched at that and River put a hand on his shoulder.

"Wilf and Sylvia are dead?" he said, his stomach lurching.

"Yeah, the fucking Jacksprites reduced them to piles of meat about a year ago," Donna spat at him. "Anything else you want to know?"

"Look, you don't know me but we're here to help," Eleven said, trying not to think of Wilf and Sylvia lying in the street, ripped and gutted like the mangled corpse they saw earlier.

"Help?"

Donna barked out mirthless laughter.

"Help who? No one can help us," she said. "Anyone that does try to help usually ends up minced meat. So how are you any different?"

"Because I have a way to fight the Ripper and his disciples," Eleven said.

"Really? What are you gonna do, Professor, throw some books at them?" Donna said, opening the door a bit wider and pointing to his tweed jacket.

"I'm an old friend of Wilf and Sylvia," the Doctor said, trying a different tactic. "I was wondering where they were buried at so I could pay my respects."

Donna opened the door a bit wider and studied him for a moment.

"They're buried out back, up on the hill," Donna finally said. "Granddad loved going up there and looking at the stars so I buried them there."

"You buried them?" Rory said.

"Yeah, no one else would help me so I did it myself," Donna said. "No one helps anyone these days, which is why I'm curious about you lot. The Boy Scouts and Girl Guides were disbanded ages ago so if you're here earning your badges, you're out of luck."

She looked at Eleven when he chuckled at that.

"What's so funny, Tweedy?" she said to him.

"You haven't lost your sardonic sense of humor, Donna, I admire that," he said proudly.

Donna opened the door a bit wider and scrutinized him.

"Who are you?" she said finally.

"I'm help," Eleven said.

"Why do you care?" Donna said. "No one cares anymore."

"I'm not a normal bloke. I do care," Eleven said to her. "Just come with us, we can help protect you."

He knew it was a risk bringing her on board the TARDIS but he couldn't in good conscious leave his best friend by herself, at the mercy of Jacksprites, wraiths and who knows what else. He figured he and his other selves could come up with a way to preserve her mind while she remained safe inside the TARDIS. Donna was dubious about going with him and he wondered if there was a way to get through to her when Rory stepped up beside.

"Hi, you don't know me as well," Rory said to Donna. "But this man is telling you the truth. If anyone could help London, it's him, trust me. Please come with us. What do you have to lose?"

Donna studied him and the Doctor prayed that Rory got through to her. To his relief, Donna nodded.

"You're right," she said. "Everything else has been tried and I'm a sitting duck for the Jacksprites right now. Why not go with you lot. At least there's safety in numbers this way."

"Doctor!" Sarah Jane said.

The Doctor turned. Sarah Jane was pointing across the street to a group of teens who were slowly coming towards them. They were grubby and thin and each one of them had scalpel blades strapped to their fingers.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

John stood by the TARDIS door, keeping an eye on his friends while Ten walked around the console room, taking it in. Rose was standing near her fiancé, watching while Ten walked under the glass floor and looked up through it. Rose hesitated a moment before walking over to him. Ten glanced at her and smiled.

"This is rather nice," he said, pointing to the glass floor. "I like my TARDIS's interior but the futuristic design is appealing as well."

Rose nodded absentmindedly. Ten studied her for a moment.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

"Just worried," she said. "Worried about you, worried about everyone."

Ten smiled sadly and walked over to her.

"You've always had faith in me, even when I didn't," he said. "You saw only goodness in me but there's far more darkness in me than you'd like to believe."

"Is that why you left me with John? Because you feared he had the same level of darkness?"

"Partly and partly, as I told you before, I thought you and he could grow old together. How long has it been since you last saw me?" he said.

"Um, a little over a year," Rose said. "Wait, you just said you left Donna behind."

"Two days ago," the Doctor said. "I wondered how you two had managed to find a flat so quickly. Now I realize that the TARDIS brought me further into your future. Maybe she did that so I would arrive at a point where John was no longer cross with me."

"I was never cross with you to the point I would smash your face in, Doctor," John said. "If anything, I was more upset you left Rose behind without saying goodbye properly. But as I said before, water under the bridge. Now I'm more concerned about keeping everyone alive and sorting out this mucked up timeline."

He opened the door a bit and stuck his head out.

"Do you think we can sort it out, Doctor?" Rose asked him.

"I don't know. I hope so. All those people my other selves killed…Peri, Mickey, Jackie and who knows who else. I want whoever is doing this to stop this and restore them and the timeline."

"Doctor, I think we have a problem," John said, sticking his head back inside. "Those Jacksprites, I think a bunch of them have surrounded the Doctor and everyone else and they're about to attack them."

"We need to help them," Rose said.

John and Ten looked at each other.

"I think the need to help is greater than Donna recognizing us," John said.

Ten nodded.

"We need weapons though," John added. "These people do have the surgical knives strapped to their fingers."

Ten rubbed his chin thoughtfully and then snapped his fingers.

"Got it," he said. "Come, my friends, we'll make a quick diversion to the TARDIS cupboard before going out."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Eleven stood with the others and stared at the Jacksprites in silent shock. It wasn't because the teens had ambushed them, it's because at the very back, standing a few feet behind the others, Rani was standing there. She was very thin and her long hair was matted and dirty. Unlike the five other teens, who were menacing them and waggling their finger knives like Freddy Krueger, she was standing there, staring directly at Sarah Jane with a guilty look on her face. He looked at Sarah Jane. She was staring right back at Rani, fury on her face. Eleven scanned the other teens, three boys and two girls, but Luke and Clyde weren't among them. One boy, an Arab boy, painfully thin and dirty with matted black hair, stepped forward from the others and leered at them.

"So…out for a stroll, duckies?" he said with a slight Arab accent. "How unfortunate for you, eh?" he added, waggling his fingers at them.

Eleven glanced at Donna. She was still inside, watching everything through the gap in the door. Donna caught the Doctor's eye.

"Get inside now," she hissed at him.

"No, I'm not backing down from this," the Doctor said.

"Nor I," Sarah Jane said. "Rani, what do you think you're doing?"

The other Jacksprites turned their heads and eyed Rani suspiciously. Rani glanced at them, looked at their finger knives and feigned indifference.

"Piss off, bitch," Rani spat at her. "I barely know ya."

The Doctor sighed angrily and stepped to the front.

"Right, you lot clear off and go find something else to do before I get physical," he said to them.

The Jacksprites looked at his tweed jacket and bow tie and everyone except Rani burst into laughter.

"You threatening us, Boffin?" the Arab boy said, wagging his fingers at the Doctor's face. "Shouldn't you be teaching a class somewhere?"

"Why does everyone think I'm a university professor?" the Doctor said in exasperation. "They're not the only ones who wear tweed jackets. But that's beside the point, go away. Well, not Rani, Rani can stay but the rest of you, clear off!"

The Jacksprites once again turned their attention to Rani and eyed her suspiciously.

"What's your dealings with this lot?" the Arab boy said to her.

"Nothing. I don't know any of them except the old lady in the back and that's only because she's Luke's mum."

"Where is Luke…and Clyde? Where are they?" Sarah Jane said to her.

"I don't know so piss off!" Rani said.

"Oh please, Rani, enough with the bad girl act," the Doctor said.

"Oi! You don't talk to her, Boffin, you talk to me. I'm the leader here!" the Arab boy said.

"Oh yes and you're definitely leader material, especially since you're disheveled with matted hair and you smell like you've been rolling in poo. You lot would definitely give Donald Trump a run for his money alright," Eleven said, rolling his eyes.

"You think you're man enough to take me on, Nerd Boy?" the boy said.

"I don't think, I know I am," Eleven said.

The boy told the others to back up and when they did, he turned his attention back to Eleven and grinned manically at him.

"Fine then. You and me, let's dance," he said, pointing a finger knife at his face.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Donna stood at the door to her house, watching these nutty people prepare to fight a group of crazed Jacksprites. She had never seen anyone stand up to them before and as far as she could tell, the Doctor didn't have any weapons on him. Amazingly, it looked like he was going to fight the teenager with nothing more than his bare hands.

"Are you crazy? Get in here before they cut you to ribbons!" she hissed at Sarah Jane.

"No, I'm tired of being afraid," Sarah Jane growled back. "I'm tired of being a slave to these snot nosed punks and being boarded up in my house while they roam free. If we're going to take back the city, it's got to start somewhere."

Donna fell silent and thought about that while she watched the Doctor and the Arab boy size each other up.

"So, what's your name then?" he said to the boy.

"Ali. And you?"

"I'm called the Doctor," he said.

Ali snorted.

"You oughta call yourself the Professor instead," he said.

"Actually, I used to travel with a lady who called me that but I prefer Doctor."

Ali shrugged. He tensed his muscles, keeping a wary eye on the people surrounding the Doctor, in case they did something to help him. Then Ali sprang at the Doctor, his finger knives pointed directly at his face. The Doctor seized his wrists and wrenched them. Ali cried out in pain and the Doctor held his wrists long enough to kick him squarely in the gut. The other Jacksprites backed up as Ali staggered backwards towards them.

"That's it, Boffin, you're dead," Ali snarled at him when he regained his footing.

He ran towards the Doctor but Rory ran out at the same time and blindsided him. Then it became a melee as everyone except Rani and Donna began to fight one another. The sun glinted off the scalpels as the Jacksprites tried to cut their adversaries to ribbons. Rani stood back and watched mutely while Sarah Jane tried to fight a tall ginger girl while trying to avoid getting cut. She looked at the front door of the house when Donna suddenly shut it. She was thinking she was a coward for leaving the fight but she knew she was just as big a coward for not helping Sarah Jane or the others.

But suddenly, the door flew open and Donna sprinted outside, wielding a cast iron frying pan in her hands. She swung it at a young black man's head and the Jacksprite grunted and fell to the ground unconscious seconds before he could cut Amy's face.

"Thanks," Amy said, nodding.

Donna gasped and pointed behind her. Amy turned and grunted when Ali cannoned into her, knocking both her and Donna backwards. The frying pan left Donna's hand and landed on the pavement with a loud clatter. Ali saw it and raced to get it but the Doctor scooped it up seconds before he could reach it and Ali jumped back when the Doctor swung it at his face.

"You're dead, Boffin!" Ali snarled at him.

"And you're unconscious," Eleven said smugly.

Ali frowned and Eleven nodded to something over Ali's shoulder. He turned to see Rose standing behind him, wielding a cricket bat. He grunted when Rose smacked it into the side of his head.

"Nicely done, my little cricketer," Eleven said, nodding his approval when Ali dropped to the ground like a sack of flour and lay there, stunned.

"Thank you," Rose said.

Behind her, John and Ten had joined the fight with their own cricket bats and in a matter of seconds, everyone except Rani was either unconscious or lying on the ground, stunned. Rory turned to deal with Rani but Ten stopped him with an upraised hand.

"No, wait. She's not a part of this, hasn't been since it began," Ten said to Rory.

"Rani, where's Luke and Cly…"

Sarah Jane trailed off and a look of horror spread over her face. Donna gasped and pointed and everyone turned to see seven long wisps of jet black smoke coming towards them.

"Everyone inside, it's the wraiths!" Donna yelled.

Sarah Jane snatched Rani's hand and ran with her and everyone else into the house. Ten glanced at the Jacksprites, still laying on the ground but Donna seized his hand when he tried to go back for them.

"There's no time, hurry before they get to you," Donna said to him.

Ten turned his attention towards the house and ran with Donna into it. Donna shut the door and locked it, pressing up against it as she gasped for air.

"What's going on?" John said.

Then they heard a high-pitched shriek outside and Ali's terrified screams as the howls increased in intensity.

"What's going on?" Eleven said to Sarah Jane.

"The Wraiths, they come without notice and kill anyone who doesn't get out of their way," Sarah Jane said.

Ali's screams stopped a few minutes before the shrieks of the Wraiths. Then it fell silent outside. Donna tentatively opened the door and looked out. She sighed and looked at them.

"It's over, they're gone and the Jacksprites are dead," she said dully.

She opened the door and everyone except Donna, Sarah Jane and Rani gasped when they saw the Jacksprites. All of them were reduced to piles of mangled flesh, barely recognizable now. They went outside and stared at the bodies in horror as pools of blood rapidly formed under the bodies and spread out over the asphalt. Eleven walked up to Ali who was now a pile of shredded flesh and bones and shook his head angrily before he spun around to confront Rani.

"And this is what you left home for? This?" he snarled at Rani as he walked towards her. "Is this worth killing people over?"

"I…I haven't killed anyone," Rani protested, shrinking back from the Doctor's fury. "I just travel with them."

"And how many people have your mates killed and mutilated, Rani?" Eleven growled at her.

"Who are you? I don't even know you," Rani protested.

"Yeah? Well, I know you and you're not the sort of person who would join up with people like this," Eleven said, jabbing a finger at the corpses. "So why do it? Why did you leave Sarah behind to risk death like this?"

"Leave Sarah? I barely know the woman," Rani said.

Eleven looked at Sarah Jane.

"She and Clyde and Luke don't help you fight evil?" Eleven said.

Sarah Jane was taken aback by that.

"No, she's just a friend of Luke and one of our neighbors. She used to come over to my house to hang out with him but fight evil with me? You mean the Jacksprites? That sort of evil?" Sarah Jane said, pointing to the corpses.

"No," Eleven said, sighing with frustration.

"Doctor, why do we still remember things as they were while everyone else forgot?" Rose said. "If time changed, why do I still remember everything?"

"Because we were protected," Eleven said to her. "The tenth Doctor and me and my family were protected by the TARDIS and you and John were protected by being in another universe. That's why we can remember the proper timeline but for everyone else, this is reality now. This twisted, corrupted reality that would probably make Hell look attractive at the moment."

He looked at Donna and glanced at Ten, John and Rose before looking back at her. She was looking their way but so far, she wasn't exhibiting signs of distress or recognition. He walked over to her, deciding to take a chance.

"See these three?" he said, pointing to Ten, John and Rose. "Have you ever seen them before…ever?"

Donna shook her head.

"Do you remember traveling with him?" he said, pointing to the Tenth Doctor.

"I just said I don't remember them," Donna said, annoyed.

Eleven looked at Ten.

"What if she never met you at all?" Eleven said to him. "Perhaps we don't need to worry about her remembering you."

"I don't know him," Donna growled at Eleven. "Are you thick or something?"

Ten sighed.

"How can we know for sure?" he said to Eleven. "She might not remember me for the moment but later on…"

"But maybe that's a chance we'll have to take," Eleven said. "I don't wanna leave her here alone, not after all this," he said, nodding at the corpses. "If we have to, we can always…put her in a comatose state."

"What?" Donna said. "You're not putting me in a coma, Sunshine!"

Eleven smiled at that, despite himself, and Ten chuckled.

"Same old Donna," he said. "Look," he said to Donna. "Would you like to join us? There's safety in numbers."

"So you can put me in a coma?" Donna said.

"No, I was only joking about that. But as you can see, we can fight the Jacksprites."

Donna nodded in agreement. She looked back at her house and sighed.

"I hate to leave Granddad and Mum but…what choice do I have?" she said, laying her hand on the doorframe. "They'd want me to be safe."

She let her hand slide down the frame to her side and she nodded.

"Yeah, I'll go," she said wearily.

"Thank you," Eleven said.

"Doctor, what about Martha? And Jack?" Rose said.

Eleven looked at Ten. Ten leaned against the house and thought.

"Dunno about Jack," he said. "Depends on when my ninth self killed her mum and Mickey. He could have done that before we met him and if that's so, he still a con man somewhere up there," he said, pointing up. "Martha…I s'pose we could check on her since her house is in the area."

"I suppose we could make a side trip to Cardiff and check on Jack as well," Eleven said. "Just to be sure. Although, if Jack is with Torchwood, I would imagine they would be out fighting all this," he said, waving his hand around. "At any rate, we might as well check on Martha and her family while we're here. Everyone, follow us," Eleven said to the group. "We're going to check on another old friend."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Eleven's spirits fell when he stepped out of his TARDIS and took a look at Martha's mother's house. They were over the road from it but there were no signs of life inside and out. Disturbingly, there were no boarded up windows on the house and in fact, all the windows on the ground floor had been broken. The front door was also standing wide open. Everyone else came outside and Ten walked up beside his counterpart and put his hands in his pockets while they stared at the house.

"I have a feeling no one's home," Eleven said sadly.

Ten said nothing. Keeping his hands in his pockets, he walked up to the house and went inside. Eleven and the others followed him. Inside, the Doctor was looking around at the front door. Broken glass was on the floor and furniture was overturned. There was no sign of life and the house remained silent after Ten called for Martha. Sarah Jane came up beside him and put her hand on his shoulder.

"They could have left London," Sarah Jane said gently when she saw the anguish on Ten's face. "Lots of people left, especially after America took over. Jacksprites could have broken in here and used this place. I don't see any blood on the walls in here and I'm sure there would be some if Jacksprites or the Wraith got them."

Ten nodded. She smiled tenderly at Sarah Jane before he and everyone else moved through the house, in search of any life or evidence of violence. Eleven walked upstairs with River, Rose and John. They walked into a bedroom and noticed the mattress was dirty and shredded but there was no sign of blood on the bed. However, there was a bloody drawing on the wall above the bed. Someone had painted JS in a circle and drawn a crude scalpel under it. Eleven snorted at that.

"I suppose this is their calling card," he said, pointing to the drawing. "Sorta like Kilroy was here."

"I think Sarah was right. I think they left and the Jacksprites moved in. So far, that's the only sign of blood in the house and I don't think the Jacksprites would take the courtesy of burying the people they killed. I heard Sarah referring to them as snot nosed punks as we were creeping up on them and I think she's right. These Jacksprites are a bunch of dirty, snot nosed punks who think they're somebody because they have scapels on their fingers. Gits," he muttered, shaking his head.

"Rory and Amy came into the room.

"I don't see any blood…apart from that thing," he said, pointing at the insignia when he noticed it. "I don't think they were slaughtered, Doctor. I think they just fled."

"And looking at this version of London, I wouldn't blame them one bit," River said. "To be honest, I'm surprised anyone's staying here."

"Probably most people don't have the money or means to leave," Eleven said. "Or they're stubborn like Wilf was or probably a lot of people have just given up hope and accepted this existence. But Martha and her family aren't here. I hope to God they're alright but since we don't know where they are, we have to leave them behind and move on."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

After they left the house, they went to Cardiff to check on Jack. They landed next to the Millennium Centre and stepped outside. The Millenium Center plaza was quiet but there didn't look like there was much devastation as they scanned their surroundings. Ten led them as he walked to the Tourist Information Center that served as a front for their headquarters. When they arrived, the front door was also open. Ten went in and looked around. The office was deserted with dust all over the furniture and cobwebs in the corners. The Doctor walked over to the desk and pushed the button under it. The secret panel slid open and everyone walked through it.

"Jack?" Ten called out. "Jack, it's the Doctor, are you here? Is anyone here?"

"What the hell is this?" Donna said as they followed Ten. "Where are we going?"

"We're checking up on another friend of his," Rory said, gesturing to the Doctor.

"Yeah, but…a secret door and heaps of corridors, who is this friend, James Bond?" Donna said.

They reached the Hub and Ten called out again for Jack. They were walking around the Hub when they heard Jack's voice behind them.

"Don't move."

Everyone turned to see Jack pointing his webley at them. He was disheveled and visibly drunk.

"Who are you and how did you get in here?" he slurred as he pointed his gun at them.

"I'm the Doctor," Ten said as he and Eleven stepped to the front of the group. "Does that mean anything to you?"

"Did," Jack said. "I knew a man called the Doctor but he didn't look like you. He was older and more rugged and I ran from the bastard when he tried to kill me and…Rose?" he said when he suddenly spied her near the back of the group.

"Hi, Jack," Rose said, coming to the front while Jack lowered his gun in disbelief.

"You're alive," Jack said in relief. "I lost sight of you after we became separated and that was the last I saw of you. I assumed that maniac….why are you traveling with him again if this is the Doctor?" he said, pointing to Ten.

"Because this isn't the same Doctor," Rose said.

"Yeah, I see that," Jack said. "What's wrong, you get killed when you tried to kill someone else?"

"No, I mean this Doctor is from the real reality," Rose said. "Something has mucked with time and changed it. The Doctor I know would never hurt us, Jack. And he didn't kill Mum or Mickey."

"Where's your team, Jack?" Ten said.

"Dead," Jack said, shaking his head sadly. "Died trying to fight those wraith things. They got sliced to ribbons. I did as well but my immortality…well, unfortunately I'm trapped. Couldn't commit suicide if I wanted to."

"Wait," Eleven said. "You're still immortal?"

"I've been immortal for a long time now, buddy. And you are?"

"I'm also the Doctor, I'm the one after him," Eleven said, gesturing to his counterpart.

"Two Doctors, that's nice. Twice the deaths if you two decide to turn on me again. Well, actually, three since there's two of that version," he added, pointing to John.

"How did you become immortal? Surely, Rose didn't do it if she fled from me," Ten said.

"Rose? No, Rose had nothing to do with it. I was fighting some self-proclaimed witch/goddess and she did this to me," he said. "I thought she was joking when she told me I'd never stay dead but apparently the old hag could do what she said she could do."

"So…" Eleven said, "Jackie and Mickey are dead, Rose and Jack fled from me after the murder. Jack was made immortal by some witch goddess, Sarah Jane only worked with me once, Donna never knew me and Martha is missing in action. I'm starting to consider writing all this stuff down so I can keep this new timeline straight in my head."

Jack shrugged.

"So…what brings you here then? I'm sure it wasn't to pay a social call," he said.

"Actually, we need your help," Ten said. "If you sober up, that is."

"Why should I sober up? I lost my friends and the world is fucked up. Why shouldn't I drown my sorrows in a bit of whiskey?"

"Because the world needs you, Jack, and this is no time to be drowning your sorrows, as you put it."

"Why should I trust you? You tried to murder me," Jack said.

Ten gave him a pointed look as he pointed to Rose.

"She's here and not running from me, is she?" he said to him. "Do you trust her?"

"Yes," Jack said.

"Well, do you trust her judgment?" Eleven said. "Because the fact that she isn't running away from us in terror should tell you something, right?"

Jack looked at Rose.

"Are they telling the truth about this alternate universe, Rose?" he said.

Rose nodded emphatically.

"Come with us, Jack," she said. "They're not gonna kill ya. I promise."

Jack walked towards her slowly, both out of wariness and because he wasn't quite steady on his feet. He stopped two feet short of the Doctors and peered at them with bloodshot eyes.

"I'm glad we have something inside the TARDIS that will sober you up quickly," Eleven said as he stared at his inebriated friend. "Bad enough fighting the Jacksprites and Wraiths without you stumbling about in a drunken stupor."

Jack let out a mirthless chuckle.

"You really think you can take the Wraiths on, you and this little group of yours?" he said. "I tried that and me and my team got slaughtered."

"Yes, well, we're going to try again because we're tired of London looking like the seventh level of Hell," Ten said. "You can come with us or you can stay here and drink yourself blind but if you do come, you are going to be sober, is that clear?"

"Yes because I want to be sober in case I have to run from you again," Jack spat at him.

Ten sighed and he, Eleven and John shared a look and rolled their eyes.

"Follow us, everyone, let's get going," Eleven said.

Rose took Jack's hand and smiled at him.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Blondie," Jack muttered under his breath before he and Rose followed the others out of the Hub.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Eleven led them back to the med bay after taking the TARDIS into the vortex. Rose stayed with Jack, trying to keep him calm since he was still casting wary looks at the Doctors. Eleven walked over to a Formica counter with an iron countertop and opened a drawer. He rummaged around in it for a moment before he pulled out a small bottle of white pills. He unscrewed the top, shook two pills out onto his palm and put them on the counter. He put the bottle back in the drawer, filled a plastic cup with water from a tap on the next counter and called Jack over. Jack staggered over while Rose supported him and stared at the pills in the Doctor's outstretched palm while he held it and the glass of water out to him.

"It's not poisoned, Jack, it'll sober you up, just take it," Eleven said when Jack gave him a wary look.

Jack sighed, took the pills and cup and downed the pills while Eleven nodded and thanked him for cooperating.

"Now, a briefing," he said, walking away while Jack turned with Rose and they leaned against the counter. "Since some of you aren't aware that that hell you call reality isn't really reality, we'll bring you up to speed on what's happening and what we're going to do to sort this out. Now, has anyone here seen Back to the Future Part Two before?"

Everyone who hadn't been affected by the alternate reality raised their hand.

"Okay, so films are not a priority in Ripper ravaged London," Eleven said. "But I will go ahead and do what Doc Brown did in the film. Illustrate the point with a white board."

He asked the TARDIS to produce one for him along with a black marker and Donna, Rani and Sarah Jane stepped back in shock when there was a flash and a white board and marker appeared behind him. Eleven ignored their shocked faces as he walked to the white board and grabbed the marker from the tray under it. He took the lid off and drew a black line on the white board.

"Now, I don't really believe this but…whatever. If it helps illustrate the point to you lot," he said, turning to them. "Now…this line represents time. I personally don't believe time is a straight line but as I said, whatever gets the point across to all of you. Anyway, somewhere along this timeline at some point in the past, the timeline skewed into this tangent," he said, drawing a line down from an angle from his first line and then drawing another straight line. "Creating an alternate reality for most of humanity. Alternate reality for me, my family, the tenth Doctor and Rose and John but reality for everyone else. Our mission is to try to go back far enough to get behind this tangent and stop the alternate timeline from occurring. Now…Sarah…step up here for a moment."

Sarah Jane walked to the Doctor.

"I suspect that since there seems to be a cult of the Ripper now that it all starts with him. Sarah, answer me this. How many official victims did the Ripper have, not speculation mind but actually provable Ripper murders."

"Um…hundreds," Sarah Jane said.

"Really? Because in my reality, there were five and then the Ripper stopped," Eleven said.

"Five?" Sarah Jane said in disbelief.

"Yes. Polly Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes and Mary Jane Kelly," he said. "Those are the ones that people are sure the Ripper killed."

"That was the start of it but he kept on going after killing them," Sarah Jane said. "And then the Wraiths came and helped him and then the Jacksprites eventually took over."

Eleven beckoned to Rani.

"Come here, young lady," he said when Rani hesitated.

Rani moved carefully since she was still wearing finger knives. Eleven rolled his eyes.

"Take those filthy things off first and put them in the sink," he said to her. "You're not cutting anyone with those and giving them an infection."

Rani walked to the sink while everyone watched and peeled the leather bands that held the scalpel blades off her fingers. Each one clattered as it landed in the stainless steel sink. When she was finished, she turned and the Doctor beckoned to her again.

"Okay, I'm not here to lecture you since I don't think your heart was fully in this Jacksprite rubbish anyway. I just want to know what led you to join them and what was so attractive about it. Why the Ripper? Why emulate a butcher of women in the first place?"

"Luke and Clyde convinced me to join," Rani said.

"Okay, but why join?" Eleven said.

"Because there's not much else," Rani said. "There's no real jobs, everything is rationed, everything is controlled, no real hope. My parents had given up. We were barricaded into the house while the Jacksprites terrorized everyone. In the end, Luke and Clyde and I decided it was better to join them and be able to live well…well, live better than we were living anyway. Jacksprites are pretty much invincible at the moment. Everyone's scared of them, even the police and the military. We lived in abandoned houses like the one your friend lived in and we usually had more food than anyone else. That was the biggest attraction for me, I wasn't starving anymore. But I never killed anyone, I swear."

"But these Wraiths that killed your friends," Ten said, coming up beside Eleven. "They're also allied with the Ripper so why kill people who are supposedly kindred spirits?"

"Because the Wraiths aren't like us," Rani said. "Even the Jacksprites fear them. They kill at random and as far as anyone can tell, nothing can stop them. They don't seem human."

"According to the stories, they're spirits of pure evil," Donna said. "There's been plenty of ghost stories about them but she's right, they're supposedly not human."

"But it all seems to begin and end with Jack the Ripper," Eleven said. "Which is why I think we should start our search just before he committed his first murder. Somewhere along the timeline, a murderer became a godlike figure that's continued to terrorize London past the nineteenth century. "And even if the Ripper is dead by the twenty first centuries, his disciples and wraiths are carrying on his legacy. He's gained more power than he ever had in our reality. And now the UK is a mess because of him."

"And the UK is now part of America," Amy said. "And of course, it's not just England that's affected, it's the whole bloody island because of course, some Yanks just lump all the countries together into one big landmass. By the way, does that include Ireland?" she asked Sarah Jane.

"Northern Island is a part of it. The other part of Ireland didn't want to join the US and now there's a guerilla war raging between Ireland and Northern Ireland."

"Well, of course there is," Amy said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes. "Some things never change, it seems."

"So if we fix the timeline, the UK becomes the UK again and not UK, the US state?" Jack said.

"Yes," Ten said. "And hopefully, the other Doctors will be restored and you and Rose will go back to traveling with the ninth Doctor without worrying about him going berserk and trying to slaughter you."

"Will I become mortal again then?" Jack said.

"Um…"

Ten and Rose shared a look and Ten shrugged, preferring not to answer that.

"Now," Eleven said, sharing his unease and quickly changing the subject. "For those of you who don't know, me and my colleague here are going to undergo a few changes and all of you will be wearing disguises so the second part of my briefing is filling you in on our plan once we reach Victorian London."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

The Ripper smirked as he descended the stairs of the Cloister Room. He had chosen the name Ripper after being known as the Valeyard for many years. The name change was simple. He felt that Valeyard didn't describe his personality whereas Ripper…that was definitely a name he could live up to.

He was currently inside the TARDIS of the thirteenth Doctor, a man in his early thirties with short dark hair and a slightly baby face. Ripper snorted at that. Even on his last life, the Doctor was still trying to remain youthful instead of being thousands of years old. But now that Doctor was in his thrall along with eleven others. Only two remained now and they would soon join the others.

Amazingly, the Cloister Room remained pretty much the same on all the TARDISes. The Doctors considered it a place of refuge and contemplation so no one ever changed it the way they changed the console rooms.

In the center of the Cloister Room, he had cast a glowing pentagram, a little bit of black magic he'd picked up from an alien priestess on some distant moon somewhere. Swarming around the perimeter of the pentagram were his wraiths, pure concentrated evil, distilled from eleven of the Doctors. All he needed was two more Doctors and his coven would be complete.

Speaking of the coven, the eleven Doctors stood in a circle around the pentagram, their cowls pulled up over their heads. He looked them over and then called for the Ninth Doctor to step forward and reveal himself. There was a pause and then one hooded figure stepped out from the coven and walked slowly towards him. He reached up, pulled down his hood and Ripper smirked when he saw his emaciated face with dull, dead eyes. The Ripper stared at his slave for a moment and then suddenly slapped him across the face as hard as he could. Nine did nothing, barely even flinched as he watched his master.

"You let her go! You let them both go!" Ripper spat at him.

"I'm sorry, master," Nine said with a dull, lifeless voice. "They were too fast for me."

"No matter," Ripper said dismissively. "We can still get her. She'll be the perfect sacrifice to bring the Tenth Doctor into the coven. As for the eleventh Doctor, I'm sure he could be compelled to kill Amy Pond or his precious River. But for the moment, we'll focus on the tenth one."

"What is thy will, master?" Nine said.

"You will go after Rose," Ripper said. "I believe they were traveling to Victorian London. Take your TARDIS and follow them. Bring her here and the lovesick Doctor will follow and I'm sure he'll do anything to save her, even surrender himself to us. After he has become one of us, we will kill Rose Tyler."

"Yes, master," Nine said.

Ripper studied him and smirked. No reaction whatsoever from him at the mention of killing Rose. But then again, all the goodness that had been within his body had been taken out and discarded. Nine was now little more than an zombie as were all the others while their accumulated evil roamed free, killing others at will and feasting on them.

"Go now and do not fail me again," Ripper said.

Nine bowed his head before pulling his cowl back over his head. Ripper chuckled as he turned and left the room.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"So..." Eleven said as everyone stood around him in the console room, "the first accepted murder of Jack was the 31st of August, 1888 and that was Mary Ann Nichols. So we'll go back in time to about a week before the murder happens. Hopefully, that'll be enough time to find Mary and warn her. The last canonical murder was Mary Kelly and that was on 9th of November, 1888. Now in our reality, that's when people believe the Ripper stopped but in the new reality, he went on killing until others did it for him. Now…I'm thinking that one or more of the women should pose as a prostitute in Whitechapel. However, it will be a very dangerous assignment but we need to find Mary Ann Nichols before the Ripper finds her."

"I'll do it," Rose said.

"So will I," Sarah Jane said.

"My fiancé's a bangtail now," John said, nudging Ten.

"Sarah, are you sure you want to do this?" Eleven said.

"Yes. She can't go by herself. I've read about Whitechapel during the Victorian era and all the murders that occurred there, Ripper and otherwise. There's safety in numbers."

"I'll go as well," River said. "We can watch each other's backs."

"Good," Eleven said. "That leaves Donna, Amy and Rani. What do you lot want to do?"

"I'll stick with Rory. If Rani doesn't mind, she could pose as our adopted daughter. We could protect her that way," Amy said.

"So am I going to be one of the inspectors then?" Rory said.

"You could. We'll supply you with credentials and a cover story so you can be hired by the police. Tell them you want to work in Whitechapel and they'll give you a beat there."

Jack stepped forward.

"Let me go with Rose and River and Sarah Jane," he said. "I'll pose as their pimp and hopefully they'll be left alone by the real pimps out there. Besides, I can't die so if something happens, I can shield them from harm."

"Thank you," Eleven said to him. "Doctor, John and I will also pose as inspectors. Although, John will have to take the lead and guide us since we won't have any knowledge of our true selves."

"Really? You're going to put your lives into the hands of a genocidal maniac?" John teased.

"I am because there have been times when I've also been a genocidal maniac," Eleven said. "We will need to rely on you and you need to make sure we stay true to our mission, even though we won't know what it is."

John nodded. Everyone looked at Donna who was standing at the back.

"Donna, you don't have to do anything," Eleven said gently. "You can stay inside the TARDIS and guard it since you've never traveled with any of us."

Donna considered that.

"You lot are risking your lives to do this," she finally said. "You risked your lives to fight the Jacksprites. After all that, it would be selfish of me to stay in here. I want to help as well."

"Come with us then," Rose said. "We can travel together."

"Yes, go with them. Rose and River and Jack are experienced fighters. They can keep you safe," Eleven said.

Donna nodded and walked over to Rose's side. Eleven sighed, looked at Ten and then looked up at the chameleon arch above their heads.

"Right, I suppose it's time for us to get dressed and get our new identities," he said to Ten.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

They went to the wardrobe room to choose their new outfits. The Doctors and John chose dark colored suits, something an inspector might wear while Jack chose a brown suit with a red waistcoat, something a bit flashier for a pimp. He found a brown bowler hat and put it on while he practiced a Cockney accent. Eleven glanced at his counterpart and giggled at his accent.

"What?" Jack said to them. "I'm from the East End, I might as well sound like someone from there."

"Yeah but it's odd hearing you speaking in anything other than an American accent," John said while he fiddled with a brown bow tie. "I think that's what they're laughing at."

"Gotta play the part," Jack said.

"Well, find a hat other than a bowler hat then," Ten said.

"Here," Eleven said, grabbing a brown pork pie hat, "this might suit you better."

Jack switched hats and studied himself in the mirror.

"I need a walking stick," he said. "I'm thinking I'm pretending I'm upper class when I'm really not, you know. I'm one of the toffs cause I got me bangtails workin' for me."

Ten glanced at Eleven.

"Do you have the walking stick Ben gave us?" he said to Eleven.

"Yes, I believe I do," Eleven said, walking to a section of the room devoted to fashion accessories.

"Ben?" Jack said, frowning.

"Benjamin Franklin," Ten said. "He gave me a walking stick. Cherry wood with an ivory handle. Is that posh enough for you, Mister Pimp?"

"That'll do," Jack said.

"Be careful with it because it's an antique, obviously," Eleven said, walking towards him with the stick in his hands.

"Nice," Jack said, taking it from him.

He put the butt of it on the floor and held it while he looked at himself in the mirror. He fixed his hat so it was at a jaunty angle and hefted the walking stick onto his right shoulder.

"Very nice, I can live with this," he said to them.

He looked over when Rose and River came up the stairs and stepped out onto the floor. Both of them were dressed as Victorian women but a bit shabby with mismatched items of clothing. Rose was wearing a navy blue dress and River had on a black one. The Doctors and John paused to admire them.

"I have something for all of you," Ten said, walking to them while reaching into his pocket. "I have a box of pills that you can share with the other women. Swallow them and they'll give you alcohol breath for twelve hours. Course you'll have to act drunk but at least you'll have the breath without actually being pissed."

He pulled out a white box and handed it to Rose. As she took it, he noticed she was wearing black lace fingerless gloves and he admired them while Rose put the pills in a little black velvet pouch she had tied on the sash around her waist. Ten nodded and walked back to the racks of clothes, trying to finish his disguise. River walked over to Eleven while Rose walked to her fiancé.

"You're very handsome in this outfit," she said, fingering his black jacket.

"And you are beautiful…for a whore," Eleven teased as River wrapped her arms around him.

"I've fallin' on 'ard times, Gov'nor," River drawled in a screechy Cockney accent. "Spare a shillin' for a bit of tail?"

"How about a penny, you filthy whore?" Eleven teased.

"A penny?" River said in her normal voice. "Wow, you spoil me. Usually people pay me a ha'penny for my services."

"Well, I like to throw money around," Eleven said while River snickered.

She kissed his lips.

"Be careful, my love," she whispered to him.

"And you, you'll be in more danger than I will," Eleven said. "So you be careful and all of you, watch your backs out there. Jack will be with you but he only has one set of eyes and you'll be among experienced thieves and punters who know how to use the shadows to their advantage."

"Not to mention the Ripper," River said.

"Yes, and him," Eleven said, rubbing her arm.

While this was going on, Rose was holding John.

"You be careful, Arkytior, Whitechapel won't be a walk in the park. There's dangers around every corner," John said. "We'll try to get a beat in the same district you're in so we'll be there if you need us but I won't be able to keep my eyes on everything all at once. And you're young and not haggard and rundown like a lot of the East End prostitutes are, you'll be fresh meat to a lot of eyes out there."

"I'll be careful," Rose said.

John nodded. Rose kissed his lips and whispered something in his ear. John glanced at Ten who was finishing up and nodded. Rose kissed his cheek and whispered her love for him. John nodded, squeezed her hand and watched while Rose walked over to River. Rose whispered something to River and River nodded before Rose walked towards Ten. Ten glanced at her and smiled when she walked up to him.

"I have permission to do this," Rose said to him as she put her arms around him. "Be careful, please."

"And you, I heard what John said and I agree. Most prostitutes wear themselves out from the harsh lifestyle and the drink and drugs. You don't look like that and neither does River, Sarah and Donna. Jack'll be there but you have to keep an eye out for him and for each other."

Rose nodded.

"Arkytior?" he said with an amused grin.

"John started calling me that. Said it's Gallifreyan for Rose."

"It is. It's also was my granddaughter Susan's Gallifreyan name," he said. "But you can borrow it, I suppose."

"Gee, thanks," Rose said while he chuckled. "And if it belonged to your granddaughter, I'll use it with pride."

Ten smiled and Rose kissed his lips. Ten closed his eyes and breathed a contented sigh through his nose, loving the feel of her lips on his once again. She finished the kiss and rubbed his cheek.

"I love you," she said softly to him.

"And I love you too," Ten whispered back. "Satisfied now that I said it?"

"Very," Rose said, putting her hand on his chest.

Ten put his hand on hers and patted it. He smiled when River came up beside Rose. Rose and River glanced at each other and Rose turned to go to Eleven while River put her arms around Ten.

"I don't know you and Rose doesn't know my husband but technically, you are the men we fell in love with so we decided to wish you both good luck as well," River said.

"I know you," Ten said. "Briefly knew you but…"

"Ah, spoilers," River said, putting a finger on his lips. "I haven't reached that point in your timeline yet."

"Fair enough," Ten said. "I will tell you what I told Rose. Be careful because you're going to be vulnerable out there."

River nodded.

"And you, because you and my husband won't be in your right minds," she said. "For all we know, you and him could land up prostitutes."

Ten chuckled.

"Might be interesting," he said to her. "Then again, Jack is now a pimp and I don't want to end up in his harem so best not."

"Yeah, I don't really know him but I get the sense he's quite a playboy," River said.

Ten snorted.

"Playboy doesn't even begin to cover it," he said.

River smiled and kissed him on the lips.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Eleven smiled when Rose came to his side.

"I have permission to do this," she said, putting her arms around him. "From my fiancé and your wife. That's why she's over there with the other Doctor."

Eleven glanced over his shoulder and saw River and Ten talking before he turned his attention back to Rose.

"Everyone's told me to be careful already," Rose said. "And I told everyone to be careful in return."

"Well, I echo that sentiment then," Eleven said. "I'm glad I got to see you again. I missed you and I told you, you had a special place in my hearts and always would have."

Rose nodded and smiled when Eleven kissed her forehead.

"John calls me Arkytior," Rose said, "as a term of endearment."

"Does he? It suits you," Eleven said.

"The other Doctor told me it was Susan's Gallifreyan name," Rose said.

She put her hand on his cheek and stroked it when she saw pain reflected on his face for a moment.

"I told the other Doctor I would use that name with pride," Rose said. "Especially now that I know it has a special connection to you."

She kissed his lips and Eleven embraced her tightly as he returned the kiss with gusto. When they finished, he put his forehead against hers, listening to the sound of her breathing and relishing the feel of her body against his.

"Get to work, slut, what do I pay you for?" Jack said as he passed by them.

"Piss off, punter," Rose said while Eleven giggled. "And pay me? I'm your whore, remember?"

"Oh yeah," Jack said, walking up to her backside. "So why aren't you making money from him so I can get a flashy new Mercedes or something like that."

"Ignore him," Rose murmured to Eleven.

"Believe me, I learned how to do that long, long ago," Eleven murmured back.

"Whores, they never listen to me," Jack said, walking away while Rose and Eleven giggled.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

After choosing their outfits, everyone gathered in the console room. Ten opted to go first and Eleven lowered the arch and brought it to him while he settled down in the chair near the monitor.

"Here we go again," Ten said, grimacing as he took the arch in his hands. "And no one here except John has ever witnessed this. The last time I did it, Martha was here and it wasn't pleasant for her…or for me."

The Doctor took a silver fob watch out of his pocket and gave it to Ten.

"Okay, like I said before, this fob watch is me," he said to everyone as he showed to them. "You lose this; you lose me so keep an eye on it. John, keep Rose back. I have a feeling she won't like this and she'll try to stop it."

John came up behind Rose, took her by the shoulders and led her to the back of the group while Ten inserted the fob watch into the holder. He then put the helmet on his head and took a deep breath before he nodded to Eleven. Eleven pushed a button on the console and everyone gasped when Ten let out a monumental scream of agony as he held onto the helmet with both hands. Rose turned away, unable to watch his agony and John put his arms around her and held her close. The others were backing up in anguish and fear while Ten continued to scream, his body shaking while his biology was being rewritten. River glanced at Eleven and he gave her a brave smile when he saw the concern on her face.

"It has to be done, River," he said to her. "We have to break our link with the other Doctors and the TARDIS."

River nodded, not liking that her husband had to go through so much agony but knowing he was right. They had to have time to find the Ripper without being tracked in the meantime. Ten's screams finally stopped and he collapsed in an unconscious heap. Eleven directed John, Jack and Rory and they carefully lifted Ten up and carried him up the stairs towards the med bay.

"He'll be unconscious for a couple of hours while the programming finishes," Eleven said to the women. "When he wakes, he'll be Detective Inspector George Sampson. He won't consciously remember any of this but he'll have enough subconscious awareness to be aware of his mission and what he needs to do and he'll have enough awareness to allow us to be around him. Well, maybe not the women playing the whores but on some level, he'll still remember all of you. And so will I."

He waited for the men to return and called John and Jack to him. He handed John Ten's sonic and psychic paper and gave Jack his sonic and psychic paper. He then put Ten's fob watch in his hands.

"You'll be entrusted with my fob watch," he said to Jack. "I want them separate from each other, just in case."

Jack nodded.

"Keep them safe, Jack," Eleven said, nodding to the women.

"Don't worry, I will," Jack said.

"John, you're in charge of the TARDIS. Get us where we need to be after I'm unconscious."

"I will," John said, nodding.

Eleven patted his shoulder.

"I'm glad I had the opportunity to see you and Rose again and make amends," he said to John. "You're a good man."

John nodded and smiled. A puff of air streamed out of Eleven's pursed lips as he took his fob watch and approached the chair.

"River, stay back and Amy…"

"I'm not watching, no worries," Amy said. "After what I saw, I can't watch it again."

The other women murmured their agreement and they walked down the front steps to the front door, keeping their backs to Eleven while he put the fob watch in the holder and put the helmet on his head. He looked at Jack and John.

"See you on the flip side, mates," he said to them. "Whenever you're ready, John."

John walked to the console, his finger hovering over the button while he watched Eleven. Eleven nodded and John hit it. He came up beside Jack and put his hand on Jack's shoulder while Jack watched Eleven with silent anguish. Eleven hung on to the helmet and tried not to scream for the benefit of everyone there but in the end, it was too painful and a scream tore from his lips while his biology changed and became human. The women huddled close together and Sarah Jane held Rani while she held her hands over her ears and tried to shut out the agony coming from behind her. The screaming finally ended and she took her hands away while Sarah Jane hugged her tightly. They turned to see Eleven slumped in the chair, unconscious, while John took the fob watch out of the holder and gave it to Jack.

"I can't believe they went through all that," Rani said as she and the other women came back up the stairs. "I can't believe you're going back to Victorian London."

"What's the matter, Rani?" John said. "I thought you'd jump at the chance to meet your patron saint in the flesh."

Rani averted her eyes when everyone looked at her.

"I told you, I just followed the crowd," she said.

"Following the crowd is boring, Rani, always be an original," Jack said. "But this is no time to split hairs or throw blame out. We need to get ready."

"Yes, we'll fly the TARDIS to August, 1888 and once we're there, I'm going to take the telepathic circuit out of the console and put the whole thing a second out of sync so Ripper or anyone else won't be able to find it. For now, let's get the Doctor into the med bay so we can make sure they're alright before we let them wake up to their new identities."


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: I'm basing Eleven's persona off Jim in The Ruby in the Smoke and The Shadow of the North.

Chapter Seventeen

It took a bit of doing and some raised eyebrows but John, Rory, Amy, Rani and Jack managed to get the two Doctors into a lodging house for a night. They had to explain to the elderly proprietor at the desk that the two Doctors were dead drunk and needed a place to stay the night. They also dealt with a bit of racism when the man inquired about the "Darkie" the moment he saw Rani. Amy explained that she was her and Rory's adopted daughter. The man then asked them how that could be since both Amy and Rory weren't much older than she was.

"She was adopted from the slums as a teenager, is that alright with you, sir?" Amy spat out while Rani glared at him.

After that, the man shut his mouth and booked them in for the night. The men carried their friends upstairs to the meager rooms while Amy and Rani followed them. The beds were simple wooden beds with straw mattresses and a battered goose down pillow but they managed to get their shoes off and get them into bed.

"We have two rooms," John said to them. "So Rory, you take the women into the other room and I'll sleep on the floor in here. Tomorrow, we'll start searching for a house near the Thames so we can ask to go into Whitechapel for our patrols.

They agreed to let John take the TARDIS to Whitechapel and hide her there, just in case they needed to use her in an emergency. John beckoned to Rory to follow him after Jack wished them luck and they went back downstairs. The TARDIS was parked next to the boarding house, safely hidden in the shadows between it and a pub. There was piano music coming from the pub along with raucous laughter and loud talking. A side window cast a bit of light onto the blue box as they quietly went inside her. John closed the door when Rory was inside. He looked up at the console. The women were waiting there, sitting while River stood and waited. John beckoned to Rory and they walked up the steps.

"You are in charge of the telepathic cicuirt, Rory. Guard it well," he said, glancing at Rory as he knelt down.

He opened a panel under the console and reached up inside the hole, feeling around until he found what he was looking for.

"Sorry, old girl, we have to do this," John said, patting the rim with his free hand before he pulled the circuit out.

Immediately, the lights dimmed a bit and the telepathic bond that was inside every one of their heads cut out, leaving an unsettling nothingness inside their minds. John made a face at the suddenly void in his mind and he felt the TARDIS becoming a bit less welcoming, more like a machine now than it ever was. He held up the circuit and showed them. The thing resembled a tiny TV tube and it was glowing faintly.

"I can give you a box to put it in so it doesn't get broken but keep guard over this," John said.

"I will," Rory said, taking it from him.

"Okay, so the TARDIS can still take you to Whitechapel but she's basically a machine now until we put that circuit back inside her," John said to everyone. "I'll take you there and hide the TARDIS once everyone's ready and then get a hanson cab back to the boarding house."

He took Rory to one of the cupboards and found a small box with cotton inside it that would fit the tube. He grabbed a bit of twine from the top shelf and found some scissors in a drawer in a little bureau that was also inside it. They put the tube inside and tied the twine around it, making sure it was secure. When they were through, Rory put it in his bigger on the inside pocket.

"I don't know you but I know the Doctor chooses his companions with care and you're a good man, Rory. The Doctor entrusted you with this and I can see it'll be in safe hands."

Rory nodded and thanked him. John clapped him on the shoulder before they left the cupboard.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

John flew the TARDIS to the heart of Whitechapel after letting Rory go back to the boarding house. Everyone stepped outside and watched while John set a time delay of two minutes on the console, giving him time to get outside before the TARDIS skipped a second out of sync with time. He stepped outside and shut the door before taking Rose in his arms and kissing her.

"You lot be careful," he said to them. "Jack, watch over them."

"Yes, mon Capitan!" Jack said with a salute.

"And you, watch yourself, I don't want you coming back to me in a coffin," he said to Rose.

"Same here, you're in just as much danger as we are," Rose said.

John nodded and reached into his pockets. He pulled out two red velvet bags and handed one to Rose and one to John.

"These bags are full of shillings and pence," he said to them. "Oughta be enough to buy you room and board so you can have shelter and food while you're out here but don't let anyone know you have that much money or you'll have more than the Ripper at your throats."

They heard a wheezing and watched while the TARDIS dematerialized into thin air.

"Right, that's taken care of," he said. "If you ask me, I'd suggest starting your search for Mary Ann Nichols at the Ten Bells in Spitalfields. It's on the corner of Commercial and Fournier Street and according to Ripper lore; some of the victims frequented it. Christ Church is across the street from it and I'd check that as well since I believe they allowed some of the women to spend the night there. I'm sure they have lodging around there as well. I believe that's two streets down to the east of here. I tried to land the TARDIS close to it so it won't be a long walk for you. We'll be back to check on you even if we aren't given a beat here. Good luck."

He kissed Rose's lips and cheeks and wished everyone one last good luck before he walked off in search of a cab.

"Right, 'ores!" Jack said with a Cockney accent. "'ere's what we're gonna do. We're gonna get out there and shag ourselves senseless for all shillin's you can get!"

"We?" Sarah Jane said. "Does that include you, Mister Punter?"

"Yes, because I be a bit 'orny as well, Misses Bangtail," Jack said while the women giggled. "I have to have a bit of a'right meself!"

"He'll be doing more shagging than we will," Rose said to her friends.

The older women laughed when Jack bonked her on the head with the tip of his walking stick.

"None of your gob, 'ore!" he said to her. "You get out there and get a bit of crumpet for me. What'd I pay you for?"

"I keep telling you, Mister Punter. You don't pay me, I pay you," Rose said.

"Well, I'm new to this pimp profession, still learning the ropes," Jack said with a shrug. "Now… have you all taken your oh my God, I'm stinking drunk pills?"

They nodded.

"So why aren't you acting drunk then?" Jack said. "And to be honest, me 'ores, you're a bit too clean and respectable looking for the likes of Whitechapel. Dirty yourself up a bit," he said, pointing to the grim on the pavement.

He watched while the women took a bit of dirt and grim and put it on the exposed parts of their skin. Jack looked them over, took in their new dresses with clean shawls and nice hats and shook his head.

"Gotta rip those a bit, ladies," he said, pointing to their clothes, "You're supposed to be impoverished whores wearing castoffs and anything you can find. You're too clean and too neat. Look around you. See?" he said, pointing to a drunken, disheveled woman staggering along the pavement across the road. "I have spent time in the slums before so I do know what sticks out like a sore thumb."

He watched while the women dirtied their clothes and tore rips in them. When they were looking a bit more disheveled, he nodded his approval.

"Right, me 'ores! Now we proceed to the Ten Bells for a bit of investigation!" he said to them before they headed east in search of it.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

It was a dark, drizzly night in London and it made Whitechapel even more gloomy and uninviting. While Jack and the women made their way to the Ten Bells pub, they saw nearly every lowlife London had to offer. Drunks, prostitutes, thieves, punters, street children were out even at this late hour and the few Hanson cabs sped quickly by, splashing a bit of water onto people from the puddles left from an earlier rain shower. The night was a bit chilly and Rose was glad they decided to take some shawls with them as she pulled her black crochet shawl around her body. She caught more than a few seedy looking men giving her lustful eyes and she was glad they decided to go as a group since she was sure the presence of Jack was preventing some of them from coming closer. Jack was also glaring at a few of them and she figured they knew he was their pimp and stayed away from them.

"Just what I've always wanted to do," Donna said softly to her friends while they walked. "Slum it in the slums."

"I used to do that with my friends when I was younger," Rose said. "We used to come here to the pubs for fun."

"Well, I doubt it'll be much fun now," River said, glancing around.

"Less talk, more work, 'ores!" Jack said over his shoulder.

"Work?" Sarah Jane said while the girls giggled. "We're walking, Mister Punter, how are we working?"

"Um…you're eye candy?" he said over his shoulder in his normal voice. "Come on, you 'ores!" he said in his Cockney accent. "You're s'posed to be like them people in David Copperfield now, so act like it!"

"Yes, Mister Punter," Donna said in a screechy voice. "We'll be good 'ores, we will."

The women giggled at that while Jack grinned.

"That's it, me lovelies! Act like the 'ores you really are!" he crowed, taking no notice of the odd looks from the passerby around them.

"I just had a thought," River said while they walked. "Rose is the youngest one out of all of us. So is she our whore in training?"

The women giggled while Jack grinned at that.

"She just come from the toffs," Donna said with a Cockney accent. "She ran away 'cause she had to marry a rich stiff and she didn't like it! So now she's our 'ore in trainin', she is!"

"So does that mean I should act posh since I supposedly am posh?" Rose said.

"Um…yeah, you're the posh fallen woman and we're the three hags who recruited you to walk the streets," River said.

Jack giggled at that, enjoying the banter.

"So what are you then?" Rose said to her. "Eliza Doolittle?"

"Um…no, I'm not the type. Donna, wanna be Eliza then?" River said to her.

"If you want me to be," Donna said.

"And I'll be…Old Lady Senior Whore then since I think I'm the oldest," Sarah Jane said.

"You're the Mentor Ho, you mentor all of us to be good sluts," Donna said.

"You girls realize that some people are hearing you and giving you the oddest looks now, right?" Jack said over his shoulder.

"We're trying to work out the ho pecking order here," Donna said to him. "She's Old Age Pensioner Whore, Rose is Junior Posh Whore in Training, I'm Eliza Doolittle and River's…"

Everyone looked at her while River thought about that.

"I'll be The Enforcer Whore," she finally said. "If anyone tries to hurt us, I'll kill them."

"There you have it, the Enforcer Whore, now we know our place in the group," Donna said while the girls chortled.

"Well, it's a good thing since I see the Ten Bells up ahead," Jack said.

"Wait, what do we call you? Shifty?" Rose said. "Killer? Scars McGee?"

Jack stopped them for a moment while he thought that over.

"You're right; I should have a pimp name. Something that inspires terror and fear in whores," he said. "How about Fluffy Wonderbum? Okay, to the Ten Bells!"

"Seriously, that's what you're going with?" Rose said.

"Too gay?" Jack said.

"I think that would invite a slit throat, yes," River said.

"Well, what name would suit me then? I mean, I didn't put any scars on my body. I guess I should have though," he said.

"How about The Captain?" Rose said.

Jack's face brightened at that.

"The Captain?" Donna said.

"That's what he calls himself, Captain Jack Harkness," Rose said, gesturing to him. "So he could use The Captain."

"Interesting. Yes, I was a ship captain before I became a pimp. Very good, Posh Spice, I won't beat you tonight since you thought of that," he said, patting her on the head. "Come along, me 'ores!"

"Yes, Captain," the girls said in unison before they resumed their walk towards the Ten Bells.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

The interior of the Ten Bells was more inviting after being out in the cold, drizzly night. And it was evident from the number of people inside that others thought that as well. The pub cliental was a microcosm of the world outside, minus the street children. Most of the tables were full but they managed to find one in the back, thankfully near a roaring fire. They sat down together and looked around at the drunk and tipsy women.

"Okay, how do we know which one is Mary Ann Nichols?" Rose said, looking around.

"Stay here, I'll get some pints and ask the barkeep," Jack said to them.

"Anyone have any idea what she looks like?" Donna said.

"I've seen photos of the Ripper victims before, working as a journalist," Sarah Jane said. "But I never studied them to the point of remembering their faces."

"And the last one, Mary Kelly," Rose said softly. "She was in a boardinghouse. I mean, they gave us money because they wanted us to be safe but she was mutilated beyond recognition because she wasn't out on the street and the Ripper had time to take her apart."

"Yes but there'll be five of us," River said. "I think Mary Kelly was alone that night. We can watch out for each other."

They eyed a rough looking man when he slid into Jack's empty chair with a leer on his face. He held a pint of bitter in his unsteady hand and took a swig of it before wiping some of the foam off his grizzled face. His hazel eyes swept over them and landed directly on Rose across the table from him. He brought his free hand up to shake her hand and Rose noticed that he was missing his index and middle finger.

"Hello, Dumplin'," the man drawled as he extended his hand to Rose. "What's a pretty girl like you doing in a place like this."

"She's with us," Donna growled at him as Rose put her hands under the table and glared at him.

"I'm sure she is, Sunshine," the man drawled. "But I wasn't talkin' to you, now was I? I was talkin' to the pretty bit of crumpet 'cross from me."

"The pretty bit of crumpet doesn't want you," Rose said tersely.

"Oh, aye? We'll see 'bout that, Dumplin'," he said. "You don't sound like you from the East End, love. You get lost 'ere, then?"

"She doesn't want you," River growled at him. "So piss off!"

"'ere now, no one talks to me like that, ya fuckin' slag," the man snarled back. "I'll slit you from neck to navel if you don't shut your fuckin' gob right now!"

"Ahem."

The man froze when he heard someone clearing his throat behind him and felt the tip of a cane tapping on the top of his head. He turned to see Jack glaring at him.

"These women are with me, mate," Jack growled at him. "So you 'eard 'er, piss off!"

The man got to his feet and wobbled a bit but he was around five foot two inches tall and not very muscular and he realized that Jack was taller and more built than he was. Jack reached into his pocket, pulled out a switchblade and the people around the table fell silent when he pushed a button and the blade sprang out with an audible click.

"See my flick knife, mate?" Jack said. "You be on your way or you'll be the one slit neck to navel. Now…piss off!"

The man glared at him, snatched his pint glass from the table and staggered away as Jack retracted the blade. He glared at the people around them and they quickly went back to minding their own business while the man found a group of men near the front door and sat down.

"Thanks, Jack," Rose said.

"Not at all, Dumplin', just preserving your pretty face, I was," Jack drawled as he put the switchblade back in his pocket. "Now…where was I? Oh yes, getting information. Sees ya in a minute, 'ores," he drawled before walking back up towards the bar.

Jack glanced over his shoulder as he made his way to the bar. A few people were looking his way but they quickly looked away the moment he saw them. Jack snorted at that and turned his attention back to the barkeep, a middle aged man who looked like he'd seen better days. Jack noticed that there was a bruise on the man's angular face along with a slight black eye.

"Get in a fight, mate?" Jack drawled as he leaned on the bar.

"'ad to break one up," the man said, nodding. "Thought I was about to break up another just then."

"Nah, just a bit of a misunderstandin' between me and the other bloke," Jack drawled. "Five pints of bitter and I need a bit of information as well."

The man froze and eyed him suspiciously.

"What sort of information," he said.

"Lookin' for a bangtail," Jack drawled.

The bartender chuckled.

"You found the right spot, mate. There's 'undreds of them 'ere! It's what Whitechapels's known for," he said, waving his arm around.

"No, a specific bangtail, name of Mary Ann Nichols."

The bartender gave him a sideways glance while he put the pint glasses on the counter.

"You mean Polly?" he said to him. "I knows a Polly Nichols."

"Yes, I believe that's 'ere," Jack said. "Do you know where she lives?"

"Lives?" the bartender said, amused. "I don't believe she 'as a house, mate. She lives in the street like they all do."

"Where does she usually go then?" Jack said.

"Why? You a punter? Those your women back there?"

"Perhaps," Jack said. "But that's not why I want to speak to 'er."

"Well…that's Siffey Annie over there," the bartender said, pointing to a woman sitting two tables away from the bar. "I believe she and Polly work the streets together. You can go and ask 'ere about Polly."

Jack turned and saw a tall, thin woman with long dark hair sitting with a young drunk man at a table. The man was whispering something in her ear and Annie was giggling. Jack gave the man several pennies and took the pints of bitter back to his table, taking two trips to bring all of them to the women. On the second go, he sat down in the empty seat and took a sip as he and the women leaned in.

"Siffey Annie is over there," Jack said, hooking his thumb over his shoulder. "Barkeep said he knows Mary or Polly Nichols."

"There was an Annie Chapman that was one of the victims," Sarah Jane said softly. "Perhaps that's her."

Jack nodded.

"You woman enjoy your pints then," he said softly. "I'm gonna go over and see if I can get Siffey Annie to talk to me about Polly."

He stood up, took his glass in hand and walked through the crowded pub to Annie's table.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Rani stood at the window and looked out. The rain was starting again and rivulets rand down the glass panes like tears while she looked at the street below. Rory and Amy were lying in the bed to her left. Rory was snoring softly, his arm around his wife as he lay near the wall but Amy was awake and studying Rani silently. Rani glanced at her and caught her gaze.

"Are you okay?" Amy said softly.

"Just thinking," Rani said, turning her attention back to the window.

"About what?" Amy said.

"About the reality I grew up in being a lie," Rani said, looking at her. "About real life being a lot more hopeful and happier than what I knew. I never really knew Sarah Jane that well but now I hear that not only was I friends with her, I helped fight evil with her and Luke and Clyde? After all I did, I'm not sure Sarah Jane would want me near her anymore."

"I doubt that," Amy said. "She would have left you behind if she didn't care about you."

"I haven't cared about anyone in a long time," Rani said as she traced her finger down a rivulet of rain on the glass pane. "And now I'm worried about everyone we left in Whitechapel."

"I think they'll be alright," Amy said. "I don't know anyone except my daughter but if they traveled with the Doctor, they're more than capable of taking care of themselves. I know my daughter is, I've seen that firsthand."

Rani grimaced when she heard the sounds of lovemaking in the room next to her bed. Amy chuckled when they heard a thumping sound and soft moaning.

"Thought about that myself but I thought it would be rude to do that with you in the next bed," she said.

She smiled when Rani chuckled at that.

"I think they'll be okay, Rani," Amy said. "Come to bed, you need your rest."

"Do as your mother says, Rani," Rory mumbled, his eyes still closed.

Amy giggled when Rani rolled her eyes at that.

"I want to check on the Doctors and then I'll go to sleep…Dad," she said.

"See that you do get some sleep, young lady," Rory said, opening his eyes.

"Really, I am a bit old to be your daughter, you know that, right?" Rani said.

"Really? Have you seen River? She's older than we are," Amy said. "Besides, I told you, we pulled you from the slums when we visited the British Raj and brought you here to civilized England. So be civilized, young lady," Amy said, wagging her finger at her.

Rani chuckled at that. Rory held Amy tighter while she stared at the young woman fondly. Rani moved away from the window and walked to the door. She opened it, stepped out and did a double take when she caught John stepping onto the landing from the top step.

"Oops, you caught me," he teased as Rani shut the door. "I was out having one hundred pints and getting horribly drunk. This Victorian life and all, you know. It's tough being without me Ipad."

"You don't sound drunk," Rani said.

"That's because I can hold me liquor," John said, thumping his chest with his fist. "I'm fit as a fiddle, me."

"I couldn't sleep," Rani said.

"Oh? Why not?" John said.

"Just thinking. Thinking about how there's another reality where people actually care about me and I care about other people."

"I think you care about others in this reality, Rani. You showed that when you didn't attack us."

"But you said that Sarah Jane, I worked with her…"

"Yes, you did and you worked with both Doctors in there," he said, pointing to the closed door next to hers. "You helped save the Earth and the universe, not just with them but with Sarah Jane, Luke and Clyde. I have the bulk of the Doctor's memories up to his tenth life and I have the memories of you helping my other self and you were brilliant."

He put his hand on her shoulder when she blushed at that. He looked at the door to Rani's room when it opened and Rory stepped out with a grin.

"Rory Williams, get your arse back in here," they heard Amy say.

"I'm going to go ask the person at the desk if he knows where I can get a Coke," Rory said, leaning into the room. "They have them now, don't they?"

He looked at John. John scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"Coca Cola, I hope that's what you mean, was invented in 1886," he said.

"See, it's invented," Rory said into the room.

"It's sold only in Atlanta at this time though," John said.

"See, it's not even in England yet, you git, come to bed," Amy called out.

"Damn, I need a caffeine fix badly," Rory said while John chuckled. "Could we resync the TARDIS and put the telepathic circuit back and…"

"No, sorry, can't do that," John said.

"Damn," Rory said while Rani giggled. "Well, I'm off to bed again. Rani, come to bed once you're through checking on the other Doctors."

"Yes, Dad," Rani said.

Rory waved goodnight and walked back into the room. He closed the door and John patted Rani on the shoulder before they walked to his room. He opened the door and stuck his head inside. The room was dark and both Doctors were in separate beds, snoring softly. He opened the door wider and let Rani into the room. Rani stared at the beds.

"Seriously, you're sleeping on the floor?" Rani said, pointing to the dusty floor.

"I…think it would look better if I did because I don't know the Doctors' sexual orientation at this point. I'm assuming they're both straight but you never know…besides, it'd be a bit awkward, especially with that one," he said, pointing to the Tenth Doctor. "We decided to be twin brothers and…well, would be a bit awkward and all. They look alright though, sleeping peacefully."

Rani walked over to the tenth Doctor. He was snoring softly and she stared at him silently for a moment, wondering what he was dreaming about.

"Are you sure this will work?" Rani said softly to John. "They're the ones that thought this up in the first place, yeah? What are we going to do if they can't remember who they are?"

"We have to improvise," John whispered back as he took his brown suit jacket off and laid it over the baseboard of Eleven's bed. "Rory and I will help steer them along."

"What will me and Amy do?" she said.

"Well, you can assist but it's rare for women to assist in crime solving so you and Amy will have to be a bit discrete. I think we're going to find a house and live there for the duration of that. I'll help you and Amy clean and keep house but you do know that these two probably will balk at doing women's work so don't rely on them for that."

Rani walked over to Eleven and stared down at him for a moment while he slumbered peacefully.

"And you just met this one?" Rani said to John.

"Yeah, he left me with Rose in the other universe so I don't know much about that one but he seems decent enough," John said, undoing his bow tie.

"And all of you love Rose?" Rani said.

"Yup. Bit awkward but I think Rose is committed to me. We're engaged and he's with River," he said, nodding to Eleven. "Him…not so sure about him but I'm sure he respects our engagement. Although…at the moment, Rose is unknown to him. She's just a whore to him at the moment."

He sighed.

"What?" Rani said.

"It hurts to say that, especially since he truly loves her, as much as I do. And now she's nothing but a bangtail to him or will be if he ever sees her. Although, the last time he did this, memories of her bled through…perhaps they will again. But for now, we just have to watch and wait so you better get to bed, Rani."

"You sure you don't want my bed? I mean, I've slept in abandoned warehouses and homes with the other Jacksprites so I'm used to manky floors."

She noticed a pained look for a moment when she mentioned sleeping in abandoned places and it warmed her heart to know that he did care about her welfare.

"Nah, I'm fine. Someone has to be in here when they wake up so they won't wander off in a disorientated state. Go to bed, Rani, everything will be fine."

Rani hesitated a moment and walked over to him, giving him a peck on the cheek. She hesitated again and John gave her a questioning look.

"Luke and Clyde are with another group of Jacksprites, they're strung out on heroin," Rani said, looking at the floor. "I didn't want to tell Sarah Jane that, especially since Luke…I don't know where they are now or if they're alive or dead, I just know that they were hooked on heroin the last time I saw them."

John nodded.

"Which is precisely why we're here, to straighten time out so we can go back to the real reality," he said.

"Thank you, thank you for caring," Rani said.

"And you, thank you for caring enough to do this," John said, giving her a hug.

Rani returned the hug and John patted her back. She let go and bid John goodnight as she walked to the door. John returned it and watched proudly while Rani went outside and closed the door behind her.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty One

Jack sauntered up to the table where Annie sat with the young man. They were now engaged in a drunken snog and they gasped when Jack tapped the end of his walking stick on the table to get their attention.

"Evenin' all," Jack said to them.

"Fuck off, this slag's with me," the man growled at him.

"I see that. But I wasn't looking for a shag, just a bit of information," Jack said.

"Are you a copper then?" the man said, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Would I tell you if I was?" Jack countered.

The man considered that for a moment.

"What d'ya want then?" he finally said.

"I want to ask dear Annie here about Polly Nichols," Jack said, looking at her.

"Fuck off, she doesn't want a punter," Annie spat at him. "And neither does I!"

"Wasn't asking that," Jack said. "I just want to speak to you and Polly…privately," he said, eyeing her companion. "No sex, just some conversation."

"For 'ow much?" Annie said. "I don't talks for free."

Jack reached into his pocket, found the pouch, discretely opened it inside the pocket and pulled out a little bit of money. He pulled out two shillings from the bit of money in his hand and held them up to Annie's face. Her eyes gleamed with delight as she gazed at the money hungrily and Jack quickly put the rest of the money back in the pouch since her companion and several others were eyeing the money now.

"Two shillings for a bit of conversation with a lovely lady," he said to Annie. "Nothing more than that. Is that okay with you?"

"Sorry, love, I want to talk awhile with this fine gentleman," Annie said to her companion as she stroked her cheek. "I'll find ya once he's through."

The man glowered at Jack but he slid out of his seat and walked off. Jack took his place and tried not to gag at the stench of alcohol hanging on Annie's breath. She opened her mouth and gave him a toothy grin and Jack noticed three of her teeth were missing.

"So…what do you wants to talk about?" Annie slurred as she put her arm around him.

"Polly Nichols, where is she?" Jack said.

"Dunno," Annie said, shrugging. "I saws her awhile ago up the road but we separated when I found a taker. 'Aven't seen her since, love. Why? You want a go at 'er?"

Jack wondered how to tell her they were in danger without revealing any future information. She already told him that she wasn't interested in a pimp so that avenue was closed to him. Then again…

"I was wondering if you and Polly might reconsider joining my…harem," he said to her.

"I told yas, I don't work with fuckin' punters."

"Yes, but…you saw the money that I had, right? If you come to work for me, both you and Polly, I can provide room and board and companionship," he added, nodding to his friends.

Annie looked at the other women with bleary, bloodshot eyes for a moment. Then she took her arm off Jack and rose from the table. Jack stood up and watched while she gripped the end of the table and steadied herself for a moment before walking over towards them. The four women were sipping their bitter and chatting but Rose shut them up and nodded at Annie when she came up to them.

"Is this bloke tellin' me that truth?" he said to them.

"About what? We didn't hear him," Rose said.

"'E says that 'e'll give me and Polly room and board in return for being a part of 'is…'arem."

The women looked at Jack who was standing behind Annie. He nodded confirmation of that.

"Yeah, he's telling the truth," Rose said.

"'E gives us room and board, a'right," Donna said with a thick Cockney accent. "Treats us like princesses, 'e does."

"Princesses?" Annie said, turning to Jack while the four women glanced at each other and tried not to laugh. "Really, lovey? You don't smack around your 'ores?"

"Nope," Jack said. "I treat my whores like princesses."

"And you'll do the same for Polly an' me?"

Jack nodded.

"Why?" Annie said, giving him a wary glance. "You are a copper, yeah?"

Jack shook his head.

"No, but I believe in treating women well," he said.

Annie cackled at that.

"You treat em well so you 'ore em out to people," she said. "Lord, I thought I 'eard everything workin' these streets. You don't sound like a punter, love."

"I'm from the West End originally. Covent Garden. But I was embroiled in a family scandal and disgraced. I came here to make a new fortune for myself. My Cockney accent is just an affectation really. Makes me sound more legit."

"That one there, she sounds a bit posh as well," Annie said, nodding at Rose.

"She is. She ran away after she was disgraced and I found her and cared for her. I call her Posh Spice now. This one," he said, pointing his walking stick at Sarah Jane, "is Sporty Spice. This one…" he said, pointing to River, "is Baby Spice and that one over there is Ginger Spice. You…"

He grimaced at her haggard features, gaps in her teeth and bitter laced breath.

"And you can definitely be Scary Spice," he muttered while his friends fought hard to keep from laughing. "My gang is called The Spice Girls and you can be one of them."

Annie frowned at him in confusion. She looked at the women who were either drinking their bitter or holding their hands up to their lips to hide their smiles. Annie glanced at them.

"The Spice Girls, eh?" Annie drawled while the women bit their lips. "And you promise to treat me like a bloomin' princess?"

"You and Polly, I'll treat you both like the royalty you are," Jack said. "Now do you know of any boarding houses near here?"

"What? You're a punter and you don't know where to put your 'ores?" Annie said in shock.

"I don't really work this section of Whitechapel, I work another section," Jack said. "I'm branching out and franchising. Whores R Us, you know."

"Oh God," River muttered, her head in her hands while the others shook with silent laughter.

"So…any idea where your friend is?" Jack said.

"I s'pose you could check the church over the road 'ere," Annie said, pointing towards the front door.

"Okay," Jack said. "And if we don't find her, you help us find a boarding house for the night and you'll have the address and you can give it to Polly."

"You really wants us to come with ya," Annie said.

"I do," Jack said. "Safety in numbers, you know."

Annie glanced at the four women before she turned her gaze back to him.

"Alright, I'll try ya out then," Annie said. "But no promises, mind."

"Fine with me, I'm okay with a trial period," Jack said.

Annie seemed a bit perplexed by trial period but she nodded and told Jack she wanted to tell her companion what was going on. Jack nodded and bowed as he swept his arm back towards the empty table.

"After you," he said to her.

Annie still looked unsure. She nodded hesitantly, muttered "Yeah…" and walked away from them. Jack watched her go before he felt someone tugging on his jacket. He looked at River.

"Excuse me, Mister Pimp, sir," River said. "But how is it I'm Baby Spice when this body is nearly fifty years old?"

The other women sniggered while River gave him a pointed look.

"Really? Fifty, you don't look a day over five," Jack said with mock surprise as he put his hand over his heart.

"I'm Posh Spice so I can't be Baby Spice as well," Rose said when River looked at her in exasperation.

"Personally, I love how you referred to our newest member as Scary Spice when you were trying to sweet-talk her into the gang," Sarah Jane said.

"She is scary. You see how haggard she looks and the missing teeth and that breath that could kill cows in China from here. Phew!"

"And you've lost your Cockney accent, love," Donna said sweetly.

"Eh, I would probably slip sooner or later," Jack said, waving his hand dismissively. "Besides, the accent was boring me. I'd rather be a fallen wealthy man who turned to pimpin' hos for a livin'."

"I hope to God, Fluffy here doesn't get our throats slit," River said to them.

"Now, now, have faith in your pimp, girls," Jack said.

He noticed Annie was walking back towards them.

"On your feet, Spice Girls, it's go time!" he said to them.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty Two

After Annie joined the group, Jack stepped outside and took a look around while the others introduced themselves and told her their real names. Jack was pleased that he managed to find two of the Ripper's victims and get them off the street before they were killed. He held his hand out and felt the rain on the palm of his hand, it was still raining but it had slowed back down to a drizzle. Still, the temperature had dropped and he was glad that they had money for lodgings. He looked across the road at ChristChurch and noticed a few drunken women were going inside it. Then he saw something in the shadows by the church, something that made his blood run cold. He looked inside at the women. They were standing by the doorway, talking to Annie. He looked back and noticed there were only shadows now but he still called to Rose and asked her to come outside. Rose stepped outside with him and he asked her to look at the shadows and asked if she saw anything.

Rose looked hard at where he was pointing and shook her head.

"I don't see anything. Why? What happened?" she asked him.

"I thought I saw him. The ninth Doctor," he said softly to her.

Rose did a double take.

"He escaped then?" she said happily.

"I don't think so. It may have been the darkness and the shadows but he looked like a shell of his former self. Thin and pale and ghoulish looking but it was him."

"Could we capture him?" Rose said.

"Capture him?"

"Yeah, capture him and find out what he knows," Rose said. "Get him to talk."

"Rose, he tried to kill you…well, he tried to kill a version of you," Jack said.

"And the Doctors aren't themselves anymore," Rose muttered. "But…"

"Rose, wait," Jack said when she started to walk across the road towards the church. "Rose, he's not the Doctor any more, he's not even your Doctor."

"Just let me try something," Rose said. "Just cover me while I do this."

"You better fucking believe I will," Jack said through gritted teeth as he followed her.

She walked up to the corner of the church. Jack stopped behind her, his hand on his webley inside his jacket pocket. Rose looked around but saw no sign of the Ninth Doctor.

"Doctor," Rose said as she looked around. "It's me, Rose. Are you there?"

Jack looked around while Rose did the same. Rose called to him again and Jack thought for a moment that the Ninth Doctor had gone. But then he saw some movement near the back of the church where it was darker and finally his eyes adjusted and he could make out a thin form hiding there.

"Rose, he's at the back of the church," Jack hissed at her.

"Doctor," Rose said, looking where he was pointing. "Doctor, what have they done to you? Please just tell us what this Ripper is and why he wants you and your other lives?"

Jack pulled the webley out of his pocket and held it at his side when he noticed the Doctor inched towards Rose.

"We have become our true form now," Nine said after stopping about halfway between her and the back of the church. "We have embraced the darkness but we are incomplete. Where are they, Rose? The other two? Where are they?"

"Doctor, let us help you," Rose pleaded. "This isn't you. This is wrong. Whoever did this to you, they deceived you."

Jack clicked the safety off when the Doctor came closer. He came into the light and Rose gasped when she saw how emaciated and ghoulish he looked. Jack cursed under his breath, figuring the Doctor was showing himself to Rose in order to gain her sympathy and lure her to him.

"We can help you," Rose said, trying not to cry at the sight of the man she loved.

"I can help them," Nine replied in a hollow voice. "They must embrace the darkness and become whole."

"No, that's not true. You're not evil, Doctor," Rose pleaded with him.

"You must help me, Rose. Help me bring him to us. The tenth version of me."

"No, I won't," Rose said.

"Then you'll be compelled to…"

"The hell she will!" Jack snarled, pointing the gun at him when he came closer to her.

Nine smirked at Jack while Jack put his other arm around Rose and held her protectively to him.

"Being the hero, Jack?" Nine said to him. "You can't save her or me or any of us. Let her go so we can end it."

"In your dreams, Doc," Jack said.

"She belongs to me," Nine said darkly. "She is my property, to do with as I please."

"Sure she is," Jack said. "Come any closer or try something and I'll make you regenerate here and now. And then you'll have the tenth Doctor because he'll be you," he taunted him.

Nine glowered at him before he turned his gaze towards Rose.

"He cannot be saved," he said to Rose. "He and the Eleventh Doctor, it's only a matter of time. Bring them to us and convince them to give up and your lives will be spared. We only want the Doctors, Rose, but if we must take you and torture you to get them to come, we will."

"And that right there, is not the Doctor I know," Jack said. "He wouldn't say that to Rose or any other person he cared about."

"Yeah, I know. That's because I was under the delusion that I was good," Nine said to them. "I was pretending to be a moral, good person when all I really am is a depraved monster."

"No," Rose said softly.

Jack glanced at her and saw her eyes misting up.

"Come on, Rose, step away from him. Let him go back to the…darkness," Jack said.

"You can't win, Rose. You can't protect them, none of them. My master will have us all, sooner or later. And if we must torture you to bring them to us, we will."

"Get out of here!" Jack snarled at him. "Touch one hair on her head and you won't have a head of your own."

Nine stared at them for a moment before chuckling softly.

"Bring them here, Rose, to this church by the time three days are up or I will come for you personally and you won't like what I'll do to you."

He stepped back towards the shadows.

"Three days…by midnight or I'm coming for you, all of you," he said to Rose before he turned and ran away into the shadows.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty Three

_What am I doing? I just let her go. Why?_

The Ninth Doctor stopped the same moment he paused in his train of thought. The rain was picking up again but he ignore the raindrops sliding down his emaciated, pale face while he let his train of thought continue in his mind. He had them both, her and Jack. Granted, Jack had a gun but he could have taken care of that easily. The master never commanded him to give them an ultimatum, he did that on his own. But why?

He knew why. It's because he still cared for her. It's why he let her go that day, along wtih Jack. He killed Jackie and Mickey and let the two people he cared about the most get away. And he was still doing it. He knew his master would be furious if he found out but even though he surrendered to the dark, he just couldn't bring himself to harm her. He knew if she and Jack were here, the Doctors were somewhere as well. Deep within the recesses of his mind, he hoped that both of them would find a way to stop the Ripper and end all of this. He didn't know if any of his fellow Doctors were still cognizant enough to know that they were being used as demonic puppets. They were all separated until the Ripper needed them. He hoped that somehow a spark of goodness survived in all of them. He knew that at some point he would have to go back to his master and give a report but for the moment, he decided to follow Rose and keep watch over her.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Sarah Jane, Donna and River were milling around with Annie just inside the entrance of the Ten Bells, waiting for Jack and Rose to return. The rain picked up again and they were trying to stay dry as much as possible before leaving. When Rose and John finally entered, Rose's friends were shocked to see them. Both of them were slightly wet but Rose had a distraught expression on her face and Jack was furious.

"What's wrong?" Sarah Jane said.

Jack explained what happened. Rose friends gathered around her and comforted her but Annie was a bit perplexed.

"So 'o is this Doctor bloke then?" she said to Jack.

"Old…enemy now," Jack said darkly. "Someone who wants us dead."

"Oh, I knows how that is, lovey," she said. "I've 'ad lots of men what wants me dead."

"Which is why we need to find somewhere to stay the night," Jack said to her.

"Got just the place for ya, lovey. Not far from 'ere and only costs a few pence a night."

"Good," Jack said.

"We 'as to check the church though, if you wants Polly to come with us," Annie said, pointing to Christ Church.

Jack nodded. He glanced outside but now there was no sign of the Doctor. Rose's friends stayed around her and kept watch with her while Annie led the group over the road to the church. By now, the rain was coming down steadily and there we no more women going into the church. Annie led them up the steps to the front door and knocked on it. It was opened by a young vicar, barely in his twenties, who sighed when his eyes swept over them.

"We've not much room left," he said.

"We has lodgings," Annie said. "I'm looking for a friend. Polly Nichols."

"I don't know the women's names. But you're welcome to come in and check if she's here."

The vicar stepped aside and they entered the darkened church. Rose was shocked when she saw the pews. The women were sleeping sitting straight up in them with a heavy rope tied from one end of the pew to the other, keeping them from falling over. Some of them were leaning heavily against the ropes while they slept and several were snoring loudly. The vicar followed them as Annie slowly walked by each pew, checking for any sign of Polly. When she got to the last row, she took one last look before shaking her head.

"She's not 'ere," she said.

"Sorry about that," the vicar said. "You're welcome to stay, of course, but if you're not going to, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave."

"Yeah, yeah, we're goin'," Annie said testily as she turned.

Everyone followed her back outside and the vicar shut the door behind them.

"She's probably out workin' the streets then," Annie said to them when they reached the pavement.

"Okay, show us where this lodging house is and you can go look for her if you want," Jack said. "That way you'll know where we're staying."

"Might be a bit late comin' in, I need to do a bit of work meself," Annie said.

Jack nodded.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

She led them to a lodging house three streets west of the pub. After paying the landlord for two rooms next to each other, Annie went off in search of Polly while the others went inside. The rooms were sparsely furnished with one big bed, a table and chair and a fireplace. Jack helped them start a fire to warm the room and helped them put a sheet up over the lone window in the room, to give them privacy. He decided to stay with Rose and Sarah Jane while River and Donna roomed together with Annie and Polly, if they ever decided to come back. After bidding them goodnight and instructing them to bang on the wall if they needed help, Jack went into the room next door to theirs. After starting a fire and putting a sheet up over the window, Jack told Rose and Sarah Jane to use the bed while he slept on the floor. He sat down on the floor by the fireplace and made a face at the amount of dust and filth on the floor. He also swore he could hear a mouse squeak somewhere under the bed. Sarah Jane sat down on the bed and warmed herself but Rose walked over to the window and moved the sheet aside slightly while she peered out into the rainy night.

"I doubt he's here," Jack said, guessing what Rose was trying to find. "He probably ran off after delivering his ultimatum."

"Jack, he let us go," Rose said, looking at him. "He could have killed us but he let us go and let us have three days on top of it."

"So…he's probably giving his boss time to set up a trap," Jack said. "He tried to kill us…well, kill me and your alternate universe self, but the point still stands. You saw him. He's not in his right mind anymore."

"But he's the Doctor," Rose said, moving away from the window towards the bed. "He could have disarmed you easily but he just stood there and did nothing."

"Rose, I swear to God if you try to go find him, I'll shoot you in the legs," Jack said. "Don't you dare get yourself caught because you think the Doctor will listen to you and never harm you. I watched him grab your mother around the neck and break her neck and he'll do the same to you if you give him a chance. He didn't attack because he was trying to lure us to him. I don't trust him, not after seeing what he did before. And I was told to protect all of you and I will, even if it means incapacitating you and keeping you in here. Is that understood?"

Rose nodded and Sarah Jane put her arm around her when she sat down beside her on the bed.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

The Ninth Doctor stood in the shadows of a building over the road from the boarding house. He kept his distance while he watched. He watched Annie when she left. He knew who she was and he guessed what they were trying to do. He thought it a fool's errand since his master could kill them at any moment if he wanted to but for the moment, the Ripper's original victims weren't the true prey. He had no idea where his other selves were, he couldn't sense them or the TARDIS any longer so something was done to hide them and the time ship but he figured if he kept his vigil and followed Rose, sooner or later he would learn where the Doctors and TARDIS were at. The only thing that bothered him was whether or not he should tell his master or continue to risk death by defying him. For the moment though, he could see that Rose was safe from the rain and the seedier characters of Whitechapel and he was content to keep watch over her for the rest of the night.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty Four

(The next morning…)

John woke early in order to be awake when the Doctors opened their eyes. He stood and put his hands on the small of his back, stretching and trying to get the ache out of his muscles. He hoped they could find a house with a large bath so he could get clean. The floor was dusty and he was sure the dust and other grime was all over his body now. He heard a slight squeak from the beds and turned to see Ten stirring. He lay there a moment before slowly opening his eyes. John walked over to him and Ten gazed up at him.

"Where am I?" he said.

"An inn. We decided to spend the night here before finding someplace to live," John said.

"Where is the inn?" Ten said.

"Southwark," John said.

Ten glanced at Eleven who was still snoring softly.

"Damn it, man, go and wake Jim. We need to get going," he said to John as the gestured to Eleven. "And where are Rory and Amy and Rani?"

"In the next room."

Ten nodded. He slowly sat up on the side of the bed while Ten walked over to Eleven. He shook him gently and Eleven snorted and opened his eyes.

"Yeah?" he said. "George?"

"No, it's John."

"Blimey, you need to wear a bell or somethin'," Eleven said, rising up on his elbow. "Can't tell the two of ya apart. Where are we?"

"In an inn in Southwark," John said. "We were having a celebratory drink in the pub and you and George had a bit too much."

"Ugh, I can see that," Eleven said groggily as he slowly sat up on the side of the bed. "So we find new lodgings today?"

"Yes and one of us has to go talk to the police and see if they'll employ us. I have the letter of introduction in my pocket."

Before losing their memories, it was decided that the four men had been inspectors in Sheffield and were moving to London. The TARDIS helped make fake letters of introduction and credentials for them, all of which were in John's pocket. While they were waking up, John told them he'd check on Rory and his family and left the room. He went next door and knocked gently on the door, calling to them. Rory opened the door.

"They're awake," John said. "They want us to get a move on so we can find a house."

"Just waking up now," Rory said. "I'll tell the family."

"Right-o, going back to the other room now," John said.

Rory shut the door while John went into the other room.

"They're awake and getting ready," he said to the Doctors as he shut the door.

"Good," Eleven said. "Because I'm ready for a more comfortable bed. How about you, George?"

"Yes, a comfortable bed will do just fine," Ten said, nodding.

John gazed at the two men as they made their beds and got ready. He was a bit of a loss as to how he was going to convince the two of them to go hunting for the Ripper in Whitechapel when there hadn't been any murders committed yet. He'd spent some part of the night lying awake in thought, trying to come up with a way to convince them to patrol Spitalfields, especially since most policemen were adverse to going in there.

"I was thinking," he said, sitting on Eleven's bed after he made it, "perhaps a good place to start here would be Spitalfields."

Eleven spun around and gave him a shocked look.

"Whitechapel?" he said. "That's the most depraved area of the whole bleedin' city."

"Yeah but it's also the part of the city in need of the most help," John said patiently. "I mean, we came here because Sheffield was dull, yeah?"

"Yeah but I didn't want to plunge right in to the slums," Eleven said.

"But we'll probably be given the slums since we're at the bottom of the ladder here," John said, wishing the two of them hadn't put themselves into fob watches. "I'm sure the higher up you go, the easier assignments you get."

Eleven made a face and looked at Ten.

"Just what I wanted to hear, out amongst the whores and degenerates in Merry Olde London," he said to Ten.

Ten shrugged.

"One assignment's good as another, Jimmy, my boy," he said, putting his jacket on. "At least we won't be bored working there."

"P'eh, yeah I'm sure we won't," Eleven said dryly.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Thankfully though, they spent the majority of the morning trying to find a house. They finally found one several streets down from the lodging house. The house was a bit rundown but not dilapidated. The owner lived next door. He was a middle aged man called Jasper. He had short blonde hair that was slightly grey around the temples and a slightly lined and kind face. He showed them around the interior. It was two stories with plenty of room for everyone. It was dusty and dirty in places but it came with furniture and a good supply of coal for the huge stove in the kitchen and wood for the fireplaces. The rent was fifty shillings a month and John paid him one month's rent. Jasper thanked them and pocketed the money.

"It's not Buckingham Palace but it's comfortable," Jasper said to them. "And it has fireplaces in almost every room so you'll be warm this winter. Rumor is it's a bit haunted as well."

"Really?" Ten said, interested.

"Yeah, there was a horrific murder several years ago. Man chopped his wife up and buried her out back. Supposedly, her ghost haunts the place."

John and Eleven shared a glance and Eleven rolled his eyes at that while John sniggered softly. They looked over when someone appeared at the door. Jasper smiled as a young woman entered.

"Ah, this is my daughter, Sally," he said, pointing to her.

John's eyes boggled. Sally looked almost exactly like Rose, except her hair was a darker blonde and curlier. She was wearing a blue dress with ruffles on them and John had to shake his head to stop thinking it really was Rose. He glanced around and noticed Amy, Rory and Rani had also noticed the resemblance. Eleven looked unconcerned as he told her hello but Ten…John raised his eyebrow when he saw the gobsmacked look on Ten's face.

"Hello, everyone," Sally said shyly.

She didn't have Rose's voice; her voice was slightly higher and had a more refined accent. But that didn't stop Ten from coming forward, taking her hand and kissing the back of it.

"Pleasure," Ten said to her.

He stepped back as everyone else came forward to introduce themselves but John could tell his counterpart was smitten. As before, he realized that not all memories of Rose had been purged from his mind.

Wonder if this means the start of another romance for my human sire, he thought to himself as he stepped forward to introduce himself to Sally.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty Five

After Jasper and Sally left them alone, John left with Ten and Eleven to go to the police station. Amy and Rani looked around at the dusty house.

"Right, this place needs to be cleaned," Amy said, slapping her hands together.

"Too bad that's woman's work then," Rory said, walking over to an old dusty sofa near a large window.

Rani giggled at the annoyed look on Amy's face while she eyed her smug husband.

"Up, now!" Amy said, walking over to him and pointing up to the ceiling.

Rory grinned and stretched out on the battered brown sofa, resting his head on the curved wooden arms while he smiled at his wife.

"Have at it," he said to her.

"No, this is a big house and you're helping," Amy said.

"But…I'm comfy," Rory protested.

"I don't know how to clean," Rani said.

"Well, there's no better time to learn than now, eh?" Rory said. "Go at it!"

"Up," Amy said sternly.

"But…" Rory said.

"Up, Williams, now!"

"And clean with what?" Rory said.

"I don't know, we'll make do. We'll find something in the cupboard but if we're gonna stay here, I don't wanna stay in a filthy house. Now up!"

Rory groaned and got up.

"I'll clean, you lot tend to the stove and start dinner so we can have something to eat," he said to them.

He headed off in search of cleaning supplies while Amy and Rani walked into the kitchen. The stove was cold, no fire was going and Rani ran her hand over the cast iron surface of it.

"So how do we do this? I've never seen a cooker like this," she said to Amy.

"No, neither have I but I believe you put wood in it and light the wood and Bob's your uncle," she said.

Rani watched while she knelt down and opened a grate in the front of the stove. Inside was a large hole for firewood. Amy examined it.

"I suppose we put a bit of wood in here and light the fire and that heats the food," Amy said to her.

"Or we could go get takeaway," Rani said.

"Somehow, I get the feeling you really can't do that in this century, love," Amy said. "Don't worry, we'll manage. If the boys can pretend to be inspectors, we can…"

She shut up when she heard Rory talking to someone. She went into the other room and smiled when she saw Sally stepping past Rory. She had a basket filled with food.

"Thought I'd help you out," she said to Amy. "I brought some food. Do you need anything else?"

"Well, could you help us light the stove?" Amy said to her.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"And you wish to work for the Metropolitan Police Force," Superintendant Randall Johnson said after inspecting the credentials and letters of the three newcomers.

John glanced at Ten and Eleven.

"Yes, sir. We moved here and want to join the police force," he said.

"Well…we could use a few more men," the man said, rubbing his chin while he leaned back in his oak chair. "But…the area where we need the most help is Whitechapel."

John brightened at that. He didn't have to mention to Randall that they wanted to work there. He could hear Ten and Eleven groaning under their breath but they didn't protest.

"I think that will do," John said.

"I must warn you, it's a rough area. Murders nearly every night and it's filled with the most depraved and degenerate people you can imagine. Most men go in pairs for safety," Randall said to them. "If you wish to start right away, I can issue you a uniform, a truncheon and a lantern. Your salary will be twenty pounds per annum. Is that agreeable?"

The three men nodded. Randall was in his early forties with a thin face and a bushy handlebar mustache that made him look like he belonged in a barbershop quartet. He was wearing a blue policeman's uniform. His greatcoat was slung over the back of his chair and his bobbie hat was sitting on the desk by a stack of papers. He smiled warmly at his new recruits.

"You should take Tim with ya tonight," he said to them. "He has some experience dealing with the people in Whitechapel. But report back here at 8 p.m. for a twelve hour shift. That'll be all, gentlemen."

As they left the station, John decided that he would go and check up on Jack and the women and let them know what was going on. "George" and "Jim" were walking ahead of him, going on about how they would have to go to Whitechapel and deal with the rabble there.

_You wouldn't be thinking that if you remembered Rose and River were part of the rabble_, he thought while he stared at their backs.

He cleared his throat to get their attention.

"Eh?" Eleven said, looking over his shoulder.

"I…think I'll ride into Whitechapel this morning to get a…feel for the place," John said.

"Have at it, mate, I'm really not excited about going in there," Ten said.

"Too right, all those whores and drunks and criminals," Eleven said, making a face.

"I thought you wanted to be a policeman," John said.

"Yes but…I was hoping for something easier than investigating decapitated bodies and telling tramps and drunks to hurry along," Eleven said.

John was a bit perplexed. He figured the Doctors would program in an eagerness to go to Whitechapel when they became human. But then again, most people wouldn't want a seedy slum like Whitechapel for their beat so he supposed it was a more realistic reaction. Still, he wondered if he was going to have to drag them both kicking and screaming into the slums.

After they returned to the house, John told everyone he was going to go to Whitechapel and he'd return in a few hours before heading out to find a hansom cab to hire.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty Six

Jack knocked on the door of River and Donna's room. He kept watch during the night and was a bit knackered but there had been no sign of Annie or Polly. River opened the door and Jack grinned.

"Good morning, Madam," he said with a slight bow. "I have come to knock you up…in a good way, of course. I'm afraid there is no continental breakfast…or any breakfast for that matter. Did Annie and Polly come back during the night?"

"No," River said, shaking her head. "She didn't come back to your room?"

"No, I have a feeling they were engaged in…other activities," Jack said. "I also have a feeling that keeping them alive will be difficult. Good morning," he said to Donna when she stepped outside.

Donna nodded. River looked at her and told her that Annie and Polly didn't come back during the night. Donna sighed.

"I have a feeling they're not big fans of boarding houses," Donna said. "Not when there's money to be made."

"I agree," Jack said. "It might be a fool's errand to protect them. We may have to concentrate on just finding and stopping the Ripper. Unless we put Satnav on these women, we're gonna lose track of them."

The door behind them and Rose stepped outside.

"Good morning," River said to her. "Are you feeling better?"

"Bed wasn't that comfortable but if you're talking about last night and seeing the Doctor. Yeah, I've calmed down now," she said as Sarah Jane came outside and shut the door behind her.

Jack glanced up at the overcast sky. It was sunny but the sun was obscured by the clouds at the moment.

"So…wanna find some breakfast?" he asked the women.

"Where? Go to market?" Donna said.

"That or maybe Ten Bells would have something," Jack said. "Although…they might not be open this early. Maybe we could get something at the market. Something simple like bread and cheese to tide us over until we can get a hot meal."

He looked at Rose when he heard the ringtone of her mobile.

"Um…you might wanna silence that here," Jack said.

"Sorry, I kept it on in case John wanted to ring me," Rose said, pulling it out of the pouch around her waist.

She looked around before hitting the talk button.

"Rose?" John said when she answered. "I'm heading into Whitechapel to check on all of you. Where are you?"

"Well, we're staying at a boarding house but maybe we could meet at the Ten Bells, that would be easier for you," she said.

"Okay, across from Christ Church, yeah?"

"Yeah," Rose said, relieved that she was going to see her fiancé again after last night.

"Okay, better end this; the cabbie is giving me an odd look. Probably thinks I'm talking to myself and I don't want to land up in Bedlam. See you soon, love."

"Cheers," Rose said before ending the call.

"Good thing the Doc modified it so that phone will work anywhere," Jack said.

He noticed Donna and Sarah Jane's stunned looks and realized they had been wondering how she was making a call without a cell phone tower.

"Girls, let's chat awhile while we head up to the Ten Bells," he said to them.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Nine shifted his body and stepped into the shadows when he saw Rose and her friends leaving. The day was overcast, which still allowed for a bit of shadow but not much so he had to be careful not to be seen. He waited until he couldn't see them anymore before he started shadowing them. At this hour, a sizable crowd was out going about their business and he was able to mix in with them, although more than one of them did a double take when they saw his ghoulish face. He ignored them though and kept his eyes fixed on Rose as they walked along the pavement. While they walked, Jack kept his arm around Rose's shoulders and Nine narrowed his eyes at that. That old feeling of jealously he had whenever Jack got too close to Rose resurfaced and he longed to run up and bitch slap the Captain senseless.

"'ello, love, fancy 'avin' a go at me?"

Nine heard a thick Cockney accent and looked at a disheveled, slightly drunk woman that was walking alongside him. Her dress was low cut and her bosom was exposed to him. She grinned and Nine could see four teeth missing. The women gave him a hopeful look and Nine snorted and tried to speed up.

"Come on, duckie, 'ave a go at me," she insisted as she rushed to keep pace with him.

Without warning, Nine's arm shot out and he shoved her so hard she flew back and smacked into a brick building. Nine kept on walking while the women sank to the ground with a stunned look on her face.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

When they reached the Ten Bells, they noticed it was open. It was just after eleven in the morning and already they could hear laughter and singing from inside.

"People who have nothing better to do than get drunk throughout the day," Jack said to the women while they stood outside the building and waited for John.

A young man stumbled out of the building and Jack sighed when he noticed Rose and stopped in his tracks.

"Well, now, you're a bit of all right, ain't ya?" he drawled as he sidled up to her.

The man looked like he was about sixty, although Jack suspected his true age was much lower. He hadn't shaved in days and had a grizzled face and was slightly emaciated. His breath stank of alcohol and his brown eyes tried to focus in on Rose while she recoiled from him. His light brown hair was in disarray and Jack thought the man had been sleeping on the ground. He wondered if the man had lice in his matted hair as he stepped between him and Rose.

"She's with me," Jack said.

"Really? I'll pay ya for her," the man said.

"Okay, I want one hundred bob for her, right now," Jack said, holding out his hand.

The man snorted and tried to step past him but Jack thwarted his maneuver.

"Listen, mate, I wanna get past," the man growled at him.

"Nothing doing…mate, I said she's with me," Jack said.

The women gasped when the man suddenly cold cocked Jack and sent him reeling back into Rose. The man grunted when River returned the favor and decked him across the face.

"You bitch!" the man growled at River.

He tried to hit her but River ducked and grinned while she punched him squarely in the gut. Sarah Jane and Donna went around him, grabbed his arms and wrenched them behind his back.

"Thanks, ladies," Jack said, walking up to the man. "And now I can return the favor!"

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

John's eyes widened when the cab pulled up to the Ten Bells just as Jack decked the man in the face.

"I see the action's already started," the cab driver said dryly as he stopped.

John thanked him, quickly paid him and walked over to Jack who was now repeatedly decking the man over and over while the women held him.

"Ahem!" John said loudly enough to distract Jack.

Jack stopped in mid punch and lowered his arm with a sheepish look on his face. By now, the man's face was bloodied and he had a black eye. The women let him go and he staggered away, muttering curses under his breath.

"Blending in with the riff raff, Jack?" John said, watching while the man left.

"No, I was doing what I said I'd do and protect your fiancée from him," Jack said. "He was trying to solicit sex from her and wouldn't take no for an answer."

"He punched Jack first," Rose said. "Jack was just getting his revenge."

"I see that," John said. "I noticed the waterfall of blood streaming down his face. But no matter, what's done is done. Maybe the bloke will learn a lesson from this. So…shall we go inside and compare notes then?"

Jack nodded. John put his arm around Rose and everyone entered the pub.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty Seven

The Ninth Doctor narrowed his eyes as he stood in the shadows of Christ Church and watched his counterpart get out of the hansom cab.

"So the geek's come back to claim his beloved, eh?" he muttered to himself as he watched John put his arm around Rose. "We'll see about that."

The Ninth Doctor knew his jealous urge to throttle his counterpart was just what the master wanted. He knew that he shouldn't give free rein to his darkness but he couldn't help it. Rose was his and his alone. No one else should be able to claim her, let alone another Doctor. But he kept his distance while he struggled with the darkness, trying to keep his primal urges at bay. While he watched, he sensed someone coming up behind him. He turned and saw his fifth self.

"The master was curious as to why you didn't report in," Five said as he studied his older self.

"I was doing surveillance," Nine said, which was the truth.

"Master wishes a regular report," Five said, folding his arms over his chest.

Nine stared silently at his fifth self. He was also emaciated and ghoulish and his hair was matted and dirty with soot and oil. He also had a horrific smell coming off him that made Nine back away from him. He didn't like this incarnation of him, he thought he was a bit too sentimental and wishy washy. He felt his fifth self had been a bit weak which he figured was why he wasn't fighting his conversion now. He wanted to tell Five to piss off but he knew that would be reported and the Ripper would be suspicious, especially since all of them were supposed to be working together. Five moved past him and Nine activated his respiratory bypass system to avoid inhaling his stench. He was dressed in his usual cricketing outfit, except it was all black in a mockery of who he used to be. Five gazed at the Ten Bells but by this time, everyone had gone inside.

"Why are you here?" he said to Nine.

"Surveillance, I believe I just told you that," Nine said tersely.

"Surveillance of who?" Five said.

"The tenth self," Nine said.

"Ah, just what the master requires," Five said, turning his attention back to the pub.

Before Nine could stop him, he was walking towards it. Cursing under his breath, Nine followed him.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"So the ninth Doctor has found us," John said grimly as he and everyone else sat at a table near the back of the pub.

"Just us, he might not have found you," Jack said.

"Still, we might not have much time now," John said. "It might be better to wake the Doctors back up since Nine knows some of us are here. We can still keep the TARDIS hidden but…"

Jack held up his hand and pointed towards the door. A hush fell over the pub as John turned in his seat. He grimaced when he saw the Fifth Doctor entered the pub with Nine following behind him. Five scanned the room and John sighed when his eyes finally fell on him and he grinned.

"I agree. I think it might be time to wake the Doctor's up," John said while Five gestured to Nine and they slowly walked towards the table. "However…"

He reached into his pocket, took out Ten's fob watch and put it into Jack's hands. John stood up and Rose grabbed his sleeve.

"No, what are you doing?" Rose said.

"Diversion, Arkytior," he said.

Rose noticed the loving look on his face and sensed he was saying goodbye to her.

"John, no," Rose said.

"I love you, Rose, now and forever," he said.

He wrenched his arm away and suddenly bolted through the pub. There was a collective gasp from the patrons as he ran at a diagonal angle to the Doctors. Five immediately gave chase but Nine ran towards Jack and the others. Jack leapt up and pulled out his webley, which caused more gasps from the people at the tables around them.

"I told you, you aren't taking her," Jack growled as Nine stopped a few feet from him.

"Take her and hide her, Jack, get out of here, all of you," Nine said, nodding to Rose.

Jack was perplexed. He lowered the gun slightly.

"Doctor?" he said while Rose stood up. "Are you good again?"

"Take her away from here, now!" Nine growled at Jack as he ignored his question.

"Doctor! Wait!" Rose said, holding out her arm to him while Nine spun around and ran towards the front door.

Jack held his gun at his side. Ignoring the women, he followed Nine outside. By now, Five and John were nowhere in sight but Nine was standing just outside the pub. Jack ran up to him, grabbed his leather jacket and spun him around.

"Where are they, you son of a bitch?" he snarled at Nine as he pointed the gun at him.

Again, he was taken aback at the sorrowful look on Nine's face.

"They took John?" Jack said.

Nine frowned.

"John?" he said.

"That wasn't the real Doctor, that was his clone. A half human clone called John," Jack said. "Where did they go?"

"I don't know but you need to take Rose and hide her. She's in danger and possibly the one called River since she's dear to the Eleventh Doctor. Those two must be hid before they're captured."

"Show us where they are," Jack said.

Jack could see the conflict on his face while Nine struggled to fight the darkness inside him.

"The Doctors, are they hidden?" he finally said.

"For the moment. But now that you've found us, I don't know how long that'll last," Jack said.

"And the TARDIS?"

"Hidden," Jack said.

"He's trying to get all the TARDISes as well. He allowed me the use of mine in order to come here but…"

"Doc, do something. Surely, you don't want this to happen," Jack said.

Nine sighed.

"He's too powerful, Jack. He has all of us except two and it's only a matter of time until he has us all."

"So, fight him then!" Jack said in frustration. "John is a friend of ours, he's gonna kill him or possess him or do something nasty to him. Don't you care about that?"

Nine opened his mouth to speak and then looked past him. Jack turned and saw Rose approaching them.

"Doctor?" she said in a choked voice.

"Rose, you have to run, you have to get away from here," Nine said urgently.

"You're not evil?" Rose said hopefully as she came up beside John.

"I don't know what I am anymore," Nine said bitterly. "I just know that you need to run before they catch you. They want the Tenth Doctor or John or whoever the hell he is to kill you so the darkness inside him can claim him."

"Then help us," Rose said. "You're standing here warning me so you must care."

"I told you, the Ripper is too powerful now," Nine said. "He won't let me help you. If my fifth self reports back that I'm not following his orders, he'll send him and the rest and maybe even the wraiths. You need to get in the TARDIS and get away from here."

Rose had a sudden thought.

"We hid the other Doctors by turning them human," Rose said. "With this thing called the chameleon arch."

Nine cocked his eyebrow.

"And this John…is that what you did to him as well?"

"No, he's half human, long story," Rose said when she saw the surprise on Nine's face. "But they did it, turned themselves human to disconnect from the other Doctors so they couldn't be found. Couldn't we do that to you. Turn you human but let you keep your memories so you aren't connected to the other Doctors or the Ripper?"

Nine frowned as he thought that over. By now, the other women and some of the patrons were outside, watching them.

"It might work, Doc," Jack said. "There is a way to just turn you human and let you keep your memories, isn't there?"

"I suppose," Nine said. "I could just have the TARDIS create an identity that's nearly exact to my Doctor persona. I would be human and have a human mind but remember who I was."

"Then why not do that?" Jack said. "You seem willing to distance yourself from the Ripper and everyone else, right?"

Nine looked at Rose.

"Please. Help us," Rose said.

"If I'm human, I'll have human weaknesses," Nine said to her. "If we go against the Ripper, I won't have the same strength or abilities I have now."

"Well, you said that you don't have much hope of defeating him as you are so what's the difference?" Jack said, shrugging.

Nine gazed at Rose.

"I remember you, even in the midst of my darkness," he said to her. "That's kept me from completely succumbing. It's why I spared you that day I killed Jackie and Mickey. I ran after Jack so you could get away."

"I thought as much," Jack said. "I figured you would choose me rather than risk harming her."

Rose, misty eyed, embraced Nine. Nine hesitated for a moment before returning the hug.

"You're not evil, Doctor," Rose said as she held him. "I've seen evil, traveling with you and you're nothing like them."

Nine said nothing, just held her close to him.

"Come on, Doc, we need to act quickly, especially since John is now in danger of being taken over by the Ripper," Jack said.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty Eight

John paused for breath after running behind a house. He'd managed to elude the Fifth Doctor but only just. He had hopped a wooden fence and was now leaning up against the wall of a house beside a back door. The garden was bare except for a small vegetable garden and a couple of trees. He took several deep breaths, drawing air into his lungs, while he hoped that he outwitted the Fifth Doctor. He continued to slump against the wooden house, his heart slowing down while he listened for any sign of his pursuer.

Suddenly, the back door opened and a young woman wearing a simple brown dress stepped outside. She looked John's way and started to scream.

"No, no," John said, holding up his hands. "I'm being chased by someone who wants to kill me. I need your help. Please don't scream, I won't hurt you."

The woman relaxed a bit. She had long brown hair that was handing down her back to the small of her back. She had light brown eyes and John thought she was very beautiful.

"'ho's chasin' ya, love?" the woman said.

"A…killer," John said.

"Well, you looks like you don't belong 'ere in the first place. You look a bit posh for the East End," she said, looking him over.

"Yeah, I'm visiting someone," John said.

"Well, can't let ya land up dead, lovey. Come inside that 'ouse and I'll get you a nice cup of tea."

John nodded and thanked her before following her inside. The house was a bit rundown but clean and pleasant in its own little way. The furniture was also a bit rundown but thankfully was free of pests and dirt. The woman introduced herself as Miranda and told him to have a seat in the lounge while she fixed some tea. As he made his way through the house, he was careful to stay away from windows. He sat down in a plush chair and rested while he considered his next move. Now that he'd been spotted, he was sure the Fifth Doctor would return with the other Doctors. Should he surrender himself to them so Ten and Eleven would have time to escape with everyone else? He didn't want to become like the ghoulish Doctors but if it meant that Rose and everyone else could escape, he would gladly give his life for them. For the moment though, he was thankful for the chance to rest and regroup and think.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Jack glanced over his shoulder at the Ninth Doctor. He wasn't entirely trusting of him but for the moment he seemed placated, just as long as Rose remained by him. John had told them where their house was but Jack wasn't sure he should lead the Ninth Doctor directly to it. Not without making sure he wasn't being followed or would turn on them. But he realized he would have to trust him on some level if they were going to make any headway. Lives were at stake, especially John's life and they had to take a chance.

"The TARDIS is near here," he said to the Ninth Doctor. "It's been put a second out of sync with time but I don't know how to reverse it."

"I do," Nine said. "Just take me to it and let me use the chameleon arch since I can see you're nervous about having me here."

"I just don't want a dagger in my back, thanks," Jack said sourly.

"You're not the one in danger at the moment, Jack," Nine said condescendingly. "I told you, they want my tenth self or John or whoever it is to kill Rose."

"Why me?" Rose said.

"Because you're precious to him…and to me. That's why he tried to have me kill you as well but I couldn't do it."

"But you could kill Mum and Mickey," Rose spat out.

"I had to kill someone, I was being watched and to be honest, I wasn't thinking clearly," Nine spat back. "You're not aware of just how powerful the Ripper really is, are ya? You think I'm so filled with goodness but I've seen and done things that I rather not remember. I'm not as goody two shoes as you think I am, Rose. The Ripper, is me, technically. He represents the darkness in me, in all my lives, and yes, your sweetums Tenth Doctor has darkness in him as well. I'm sorry if that upsets you but it's the truth. That's why I want to try Jack's idea and become human so I can unplug from the others and get their voices out of my bleedin' head!"

Rose fell silent as Nine seethed.

"Sorry," she said softly.

Jack looked over his shoulder and noticed Nine was giving Rose a bemused sideways glance. He'd seen that glance before whenever they had fights in the TARDIS. It was the "Oh, you're such a silly ape but I love you," look he gave her after Rose apologized for something. Jack considered that possibly Rose was the one keeping Nine on an even keel for now. He'd seen that before as well, where just her presence and voice could calm him down after one of his rants. She had the power to dispel the turbulence of the Oncoming Storm so he had no doubt that she was the one keeping him from succumbing to the darkness and killing all of them.

They reached the spot where the TARDIS was hidden and Jack pointed it out to the Doctor. River came up beside Jack and he glanced at her. She was glaring at the Doctor and he could tell she was also on her guard but she didn't say anything while Nine reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out a tiny black remote control. He fiddled with it for a moment and then they heard a wheezing as the TARDIS reappeared. He stepped back as he reached into his pocket and handed Jack his TARDIS key.

"I assume it'll still work for this one," he said to him. "I'm letting you do it as a show of trust."

Jack thanked him and took the key. River came up beside Nine, guarding his back and her friends while Jack unlocked the door. When they entered, Nine stepped inside and frowned.

"Something's wrong, I can't communicate with her," he said to Jack.

"We removed the telepathic circuit so we could take the TARDIS offline as well," Jack said.

Nine nodded.

"Then everything will have to be done manually," he said as he followed everyone up the steps to the console. "I trust the circuit is being guarded and is in a safe place?"

"Yes," Jack said.

"Good because she's as good as dead without it," Nine said, patting the rim of the console.

He walked around the console for a moment, staring at the unfamiliar array, trying to familiarize himself with the new layout. He walked back around to the typewriter and rapidly typed commands into it while everyone gathered around.

"Normally, I could think to the TARDIS as well as type out the instructions but since I don't have a connection, I have to type everything out that I need," he said to them as he typed.

He looked around at the group assembled around him.

"This is your army then?" he said to Jack.

"Some of it," Jack said.

"I just hope it's enough to fight the Ripper," Nine said. "Does anyone have a fob watch handy? I don't."

"I know where they are, I'll get one," River said.

She hurried up the stairs to the back door.

"Who's TARDIS is this?" Nine said, glancing at Jack.

"The Eleventh Doctor," he said.

"Nice interior," Nine said, glancing up as he typed. "Not what I would have chosen but not bad."

He continued to type for a few minutes.

"Rose, just as a point of clarification, I'm not mad at you any more," he said, his eyes on the keys while he typed. "You've gone quiet since we argued and I can see you standing there all gutted."

He glanced at her. She was standing beside him, watching him. Their eyes met and Nine smiled and squeezed her chin, eliciting a smile from her. He turned his attention back to his typing and five minutes later, he was finished with his instructions.

"Okay, I gave the TARDIS a new persona but I instructed her to make it as close as possible to me. The only difference is I'll be human. Hopefully, this will…"

He suddenly winced and gripped the rim of the TARDIS.

"Doctor? What is it?"

"I think I've been found out. Ripper suddenly started screaming at me to return to the coven. Augh! Where's the fob watch?"

"River! We need the fob watch now!" Jack yelled up the stairs.

"Coming!" they heard her saying faintly.

Rose and Donna helped the Doctor sit down. He was gritting his teeth, his eyes shut as he slumped down into the chair. River sped down the steps as Jack hit the button and let the chameleon arch drop into his hands. He took the watch from River and inserted it into the holder on the arch.

"What's wrong?" River said when she noticed Nine's distress.

"He's being tormented by the Ripper," Jack said, moving past her with the helmet.  
"Doctor, here's the helmet thing."

Nine opened his eyes slightly, took it from him and clamped it down on his head.

"Do it, now!" he yelled as he held the arch on his head.

Jack nodded to River. River moved to the button, pushed it and the Doctor began to scream as a new agony invaded his body and mind.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty Nine

After the screaming died down, Nine slumped in the chair, unconscious. Jack took the helmet off his head and River pushed the button that retracted it. As the arch went back up to the ceiling, everyone gathered around him.

"He looks healthier now," Jack said. "His cheeks aren't as gaunt."

"Do you think it worked?" Sarah Jane said.

"Dunno, I hope so. At the very least, he's not a part of the Ripper's hive mind," Jack said.

"But if he was, wouldn't the Ripper know he's been set free and come after us now?" Donna said.

"Yes, which is why I think we should move this TARDIS over to the house the guys rented," Jack said. "They've seen us here in the East End but they probably don't know where the Doctors are staying. At least he didn't," Jack said, nodding at Nine. "We need to find John too. Hopefully, he's not being converted as we speak. Um…I suppose we'll have to wait till he wakes up before flying over there?"

"No, I can do it," River said.

"How do you know how to operate the TARDIS?" Jack said. "Aren't you human?"

"Yup, but I'm also married to the owner and I was taught early on how to fly her."

"By who, the Doctor?"

"Nope," River said, patting the rim of the console fondly. "Do you want me to drive her to the house or not?"

"Do it," Jack said. "Hopefully if John is out there, he'll take a cab back."

They stood back while River worked the controls. Jack put his arm around Rose after glancing at Nine to make sure he was still unconscious.

"I think John's still out there," Jack said to her. "He'll find his way back to us, you'll see."

Rose nodded and Jack squeezed her shoulder.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Meanwhile, the rented house was being cleaned and made presentable by everyone, including Ten and Eleven who had to be coerced into doing "Women's Work," after they protested vociferously. Sally was still there and they sweet talked her into lighting the stove and showing them how to clean with the Victorian cleansers and implements they found. She found it highly amusing that the women didn't know how to clean a house properly but she befriended them and they chatted while they cleaned. Rory noticed that Ten kept glancing at Sally, watching her while she moved about the house and every once in awhile Sally caught his eye and looked away shyly while she smiled. Rory wondered if they were going to have use the garden hose on them to keep them apart. After everything that was going on, Ten having sex with some Victorian Rose Tyler lookalike was the last thing they needed.

Then he froze when he heard a very faint and familiar wheezing coming from above. He thought he was imagining it until everyone stopped and listened.

"What was that?" Sally said to Amy. "Sounded like it came from the loft."

"I'll go check," Amy said. "Be right back."

She sped up the stairs to the second floor and ran to the end of the corridor. There was a wooden door with a brass handle and behind it were the stairs the led to the loft. Amy looked around, opened the door and slipped inside before shutting it behind her. She hurried up the stairs and paused when she reached the last step. She turned and groaned when she saw the TARDIS near the back of the loft, beside a few old oil paintings and a dresser filled with old clothes. The loft was dirty and dusty and dust had been stirred up by the TARDIS. Amy coughed and waved the dust out of her face as she headed for it.

"Are you crazy?" she said when Jack opened the front door and looked out. "What is that doing here? I thought we were leaving it near the Ten Bells."

"Plans have changed," Jack said. "Come inside."

Amy went inside, grateful that the TARDIS air was dust free. Jack led her up the steps and she froze when she saw the unconscious Ninth Doctor.

"That's one of them, isn't it?" Amy said to Jack.

"Yes but he claims to be on our side now. He just made himself human to cut his connecton to the Ripper."

"So he's another clueless Doctor thinking he's someone else," Amy said.

"No, he programmed the new identity to be like his old identity," Jack said.

"Well, why didn't our Doctors do that?" Amy said.

"I don't know, maybe they didn't think of it," Jack said. "I gather this isn't a common everyday thing they do. Especially since it seems to be extremely painful."

"But if he disconnected…" Amy said.

"Then chances are, the Ripper knows," River finished for her.

"So now we're really in trouble," Amy said. "He'll send everything he has in search of us."

"Yes, but Niney here didn't know where you lived," Jack said. "So I'm guessing Rippy Boy won't know either. There is a slight complication though."

"And that is…" Amy said.

"One of the other Doctors came with Nine and chased John when he ran out of the Ten Bells," Sarah Jane said.

"So they captured him?" Amy said, alarmed.

"We don't know. Rose has the mobile and could call him but what if he's hiding and she rings him?" Jack said.

"Yeah but if the Ripper finds him, he could torture him for information and find out where we are," Amy said. "I'd risk it. At the very least, we could use the TARDIS and save him, couldn't we?"

Jack looked at Rose.

"Your call, Blondie. I'm with Ginger here. We might as well risk it and get him back before he ends up goth and zombified."

Rose sighed. She reached into her pocket for her mobile.

"Please be safe, John," she murmured as she opened her phone.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

"So…" Miranda said while she sat across from John and sipped her tea with him, "you goin' to the coppers then?"

"I might," John said, still not sure what he really should do. "I don't know how much help they'd be though."

Miranda snorted.

"Too right, love. Them coppers care only about themselfs," she said. "They tells us theys gonna clean up the area but do they do it? And now there's a killer after ya."

She froze when she heard music coming from John's trouser pocket.

"Here, is your pocket singin'?" she said, pointing to it.

"Um…yeah, you could say that," John said, blushing deeply. "It's a…communication device."

"Cor…ya don't says!" Miranda said while John stood up and quickly retrieved the mobile from his pocket.

He glanced at Miranda before opening it up and answering it.

"John? John, are you alright?" Rose said when he said her name into the phone.

"I am. For the moment. I'm in some lady's house and at the moment I lost the other Doctor."

"Can you get back to the Ten Bells? We have the TARDIS and we can go there and rescue you," Rose said.

"Yeah, but…I thought we agreed to hide the TARDIS," John said.

"Things have changed," Rose said. "I'll tell you when you get inside the TARDIS but we may have the Ninth Doctor on our side now. He used the arch and became human and he's with us now, unconscious."

"Rose, be careful. Keep your guard up," John said while Miranda watched him with awe and wonder. "Look, I gotta ring off. Miranda, the woman that let me in her house, is sitting here watching me speak into my nifty communication device. I'll see you in a few moments."

"Okay. Be careful. I love you," Rose said.

"I love you too, Arkytior. Be there in a trice," he said.

He ended the call.

"Gotta go, I have friends coming to take me to safety. I have to meet them at Ten Bells."

"I'll go with ya, love. It's the least I can do for ya," she said.

"Thanks," John said.

"You don't 'appen to 'ave another one of those, do ya?" she said, pointing to the mobile.

"Um…no, sorry," John said.

"Eh, never mind. I'm just glad you have some mates that can watch out for ya. Come on, lovey, let's go to the Ten Bells and meet up with them," she said, standing up.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

The Ripper was enraged. He stood before his coven, including the Fifth Doctor who was now in the center of the pentagram.

"You…how could you let this happen!" he raged at Five. "You are all stupid! It's a wonder all of you lived so long!"

"I'm sorry, master, forgive me," Five said, bowing his head. "I had no idea that the Ninth Doctor would betray us."

"It's because of her, it's because she lives," the Ripper said. "This is how powerful the Rose child is, he loves her still and she has the power to get through to him. That is why she must die!"

"But what about the Tenth Doctor, I couldn't find him," Five said.

Ripper snorted.

"We will find him," he said. "But now, all of you must join the hunt! Find the Doctors and find Rose Tyler. Kill River Song or bring her to me alive but Rose is the one who is the more dangerous of the pair. It is essential that she is brought to me alive. Now go, all of you, and don't fail me again."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"Fancy a pint, love?" Miranda said when she and John reached the Ten Bells.

John shook his head, keeping his eyes peeled for the Fifth Doctor.

"No, you go ahead, I need to watch for my friends," he said distractedly.

"They'll be here, lovey, you'll see," Miranda said, patting his shoulder.

John nodded, too distracted to look at her. Miranda went inside while the pub while he leaned against the wall near the door and continued to watch.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

River set the coordinates, preparing to leave the loft so they could go get John. While they were doing that, they heard a knock on the front door. Amy looked around the console and her eyes widened when she heard Eleven's voice.

"Queer thing this, is it a chest of drawers?" he heard him saying.

"No idea," she heard Ten say.

Amy gasped, realizing the door was unlocked. She rushed down the steps to try to beat the Doctors to the door but she was too late. The door opened and Eleven stuck his head inside. His eyes bulged when he saw the interior.

"I say…Georgie, old boy, have a dekko at this," he said.

He opened the door wider and everyone watched while he and Ten came inside. Ten looked around in astonishment and then looked at Amy.

"Amelia, what trickery is this?" he said to her.

Just then, Rory came rushing into the TARDIS.

"Sorry, I tried to stop them," he said. "And her…" he said, pointing to Sally as she came in behind him.

"What is this?" Sally said, looking around. "Is this a trick of the eyes?"

Eleven frowned when he noticed the group of people on the console landing.

"Who are all of you?" he said, walking up to them.

"We're friends of Amelia," River said.

"How did you get in here? We didn't see you come in. Did you sneak in here? And what is this thing?" Eleven said, looking around.

Jack sighed.

"I say we open the watch," Jack said to everyone. "I'm tired of dealing with a Doctor who can't even remember who he is."

Ten walked up the steps and froze when he saw Rose. He looked at her and looked back at Sally.

"Sally? You have a sister?" he asked her.

Rose came around the console and froze when she saw Sally.

"Whoa, someone who really could be your sister," Jack said when he looked at Sally.

Sally came up the steps, bewildered as she took in Rose's appearance.

"They say that everyone has a doppelganger, maybe this is yours," Jack said to Rose as he gestured to Sally.

Ten was completely flummoxed. He looked at Rose and then Sally and then back again. He looked at Nine who was still unconscious, slumped in the chair.

"I say, what's wrong with this chappie?" he said, walking over to him. "Is he alright?"

"Yeah, he's just passed out," Jack said.

"Look, we need to get going. John needs us," River said, moving to the console. "Mother, please shut the front door so we can go."

"Go? Go where?" Ten said, walking over to her.

"We're going to go get your brother, he's in the East End at the moment," River said sweetly.

"Yes, John said he was taking a cab there," Ten said, nodding. "What's wrong? He can't make it back?"

"Yes, because he's being followed," River said.

"Followed? By who?" Ten said.

"An…old friend," River said.

Ten was about to protest when River pushed the final button and started her. Ten gasped at the sudden jolt of movement and he grabbed the rim of the console while Eleven ran to steady Sally before she could tumble down the stairs.

"What the hell is this?" Ten said.

"This is your ship…well, his ship," River said, nodding to Eleven. "But technically, it's your ship as well."

"What are you talking about, woman? This isn't a ship, we're not even near the sea," Ten said to her in a shaky voice while the TARDIS vibrated.

River rolled her eyes at that and held on with everyone else as the TARDIS headed towards the Ten Bells.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

John leaned up when he heard the wheezing noise and saw the TARDIS materializing beside Christ Church. A few women gasped and hurried to get out of its way as John strode purposefully towards it. He stopped and waited while the TARDIS materialized fully and shut door. The door opened and John smiled at Amy.

"Stand aside, we need to go in case the Fifth Doctor's in the area," he said.

Amy stepped aside and John entered. He froze and his mouth dropped when he saw everyone inside the TARDIS.

"Yeah, we sorta attracted attention when we landed in the loft," Amy said as she shut the door behind him.

"John, what the hell is going on?" Ten said as he came down the steps towards him. "What is this?"

"We're debating whether or not to open the watch," Amy said. "The Ninth Doctor changed himself but he did it so his other persona matched the Doctor's persona. Could we do that for him?"

"John, there's an unconscious man up there," Ten said, pointing to the landing. "I don't even know who it is."

"I say we open the watch," Jack said while River rushed to get the TARDIS into the vortex.

John thought for a moment while Ten stood in front of him, hands on hips, waiting for an explanation to all the madness around him. John nodded to Jack and beckoned to him. Ten looked at Jack warily as Jack approached.

"Do you have the watches?" he said to Jack.

"Yeah but since you gave me the other one, I'm not sure which is which now," he said, pulling out both fob watches from his pocket.

John took them and held them. He listened to each watch and the voice of the Doctor coming from it before he gave Eleven's watch back to Jack. He held the remaining fob watch up to the perplexed Tenth Doctor and opened it. Immediately, a golden light streamed out and Ten's eyes widened as the light bathed his face.

"What's going on?" Eleven said as he came down the steps. "John, what are you doing to George?"

The light faded and Ten blinked a few moments as his real memories reasserted themselves.

"Hi, welcome back," John said as he closed the watch.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter Thirty One

"What's going on?" Ten said to John. "What's happening? Why did you wake me up?"

"Things have changed," John said. "We have problems."

"George, what's going on?" Eleven said, coming up beside Ten.

Ten glanced at him and looked at Jack.

"Might as well wake him up, you did the same for me," he said to him.

"What about going nuts and hearing Ripper's voice," Jack said.

"I'm still wearing the damper," Ten said, patting his chest. "The only problem is Ripper can sense me now."

"Yeah, well…we have the Ninth Doctor inside here so he sorta knows we're here," John said to him.

Ten's eyes bulged and John nodded to the console platform. Ten turned and walked up the stairs while Jack reached into his pocket for the second fob watch. Rose smiled at him as he walked up to his unconscious counterpart.

"He used the chameleon arch," Rose said to him. "But he programmed it so his new personality is the same as his Doctor personality."

"Bugger, why didn't I think of that?" Ten muttered. "So…he's not a threat anymore?"

"He's protecting me, he said so," Rose said. "It's why he spared the alternate version of me that night."

Ten smiled at that and nodded.

"But the Ripper can sense you now," Rose said.

"Well, like John said, he knows something's gone wrong if my ninth self disconnected himself," Ten said. "It might be wise to just fight them rather than hide."

Eleven came up beside him and Ten gave him an inquiring look.

"I'm back," Eleven said. "What is this though?"

Rose explained what was going on and what Nine told them while everyone else gathered around them. Ten looked at Sally as she came up beside him and stared at Nine in confusion.

"Hi, I know this is confusing but there's a perfectly good explanation for all this," Ten said to her.

"Yeah, you got several hours?" Rose said.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

After going back to the house, Ten, Eleven and John took Nine out of the TARDIS and took him downstairs to the front room, laying him on the sofa. Eleven called for a meeting in the kitchen and Amy put some water on to boil for tea while everyone sat and stood around the wooden kitchen table. Sally stood near the kitchen door, watching in silent confusion as everyone discussed strategies.

"Obviously, our cover is blown now," Eleven said to them. "I think my predecessor is right, we need to turn and fight and defeat the Ripper once and for all."

"How do we do that since he has ten Doctors on his side," Jack said.

"Maybe I could go," John said. "Give myself to them and let them think they kidnapped the Tenth Doctor, it would buy you lot time."

"What if they…possess you," Rose said, taking his hand.

"I would sacrifice myself if it meant the proper timeline was restored," John said. "I trust you lot, I have faith that you would be able to rescue me."

"Perhaps but I should go," Ten said. "I doubt the Ripper will be so easily fooled, especially if he checks memories. He'll know immediately you're a clone."

"He wants Rose as well."

Everyone looked over at the kitchen door when Nine spoke. He was standing there, arms over his chest while he leaned against the doorframe.

"Rose is the key to all this," he said. "Ripper knows that unless she dies, you and the Eleventh Doctor won't be so easily converted."

"And you as well," Eleven said.

Nine nodded.

"But what about the last two Doctors?" Jack said. "I mean, I get that everyone before you won't know Rose and wouldn't be emotionally attached to her but what about Twelve and Thirteen, they don't care about Rose any longer?"

Nine, Ten and Eleven shared a glance.

"As time went on, the pain of losing Rose faded. I was able to move on which is why I made the decision to marry River. I have no idea how old our future selves are but probably by that time they're so far removed from Rose that she's just a distant pleasant memory…or was. I'm sure there were other triggers that the Ripper used to convert them, more emotionally viable triggers besides Rose. You and you," he said, pointing to Nine and Ten, "you're the ones that are closest to Rose so she still has the greatest pull on you. Hence the whole needing to kill her to convert the two of you. I would grieve if Rose was killed, yes. But at the moment, River and Rory and Amy are closer to me now than Rose was because I left Rose with John. All the Doctors would be like that, I suspect. All of them have something valuable that the Ripper can use to his advantage."

"But if you go, wouldn't you be in danger of being converted?" Rose said to Ten.

"Yes, but I have two hearts and I can regenerate. I could withstand torture more easily than John could and I can regenerate if something happens, he can't. I don't want him to die. Besides, as I said, I'm sure the Ripper will figure out quickly he isn't me."

"Then let me go with you," Rose said.

"No!" Nine said.

"Yes, if I go with him and he thinks he has us, he'll stop looking for us, at least for the moment. It might buy you some time," Rose said to Nine. "He wants us both, yeah? If the Doctor comes by himself, he'll still keep looking for me. Maybe if we're both there, that'll distract him long enough for you to defeat him."

"Are you sure about this, Rose?" Eleven said.

Rose chuckled.

"Been in the thick of it with ya before," she said. "I haven't backed away since the Nestene, right? Why should I back down now? I know what the risks are and I accept them. Especially if it means bringing the proper timeline back and Mum and Mickey with it."

"So…you two just roam around Whitechapel until they find you?" Jack said.

"I would, that's where my fifth self was," John said.

"Doctor," Ten said to Eleven. "I recommend doing what our ninth self did and undergoing the arch again but this time keeping your persona intact. With you unplugged from the hive mind, Ripper will have no choice but to focus on me."

Eleven made a face.

"Ugh, more pain," Eleven said, making a face. "Still, you're right. Better to tune myself out so you'll come in loud and clear."

Donna cleared her throat and everyone looked her way. She came forward and stood beside the table, across from Ten.

"They told me that I traveled with you as well in this other timeline," Donna said to Ten.

Ten smiled tenderly and nodded.

"Can I come with you and Rose then?" Donna said. "Wasn't I valuable to you as well?"

"Oh Donna, very much so," Ten said. "But in this reality, you never traveled with me and never fought the type of dangers that Rose and I fought. You might be a bit in over your head if you go with us."

"But I was thinking that it would look odd if it was just you and Rose, especially if you're being hunted. I was thinking if someone else was with you it might look more convincing when you're captured. I mean, we were looking for Annie and Polly, yeah?"

"Yes, but…the Ripper would have known I was unplugged from the hive mind. How am I going to explain that he can sense me again if we're caught?" Ten said to her. "If you want to risk your life, you're an adult and I can't stop you but we need a reason why I'm myself again."

"Maybe you could tell him that the TARDIS shielded you," River said. "And whenever you stepped outside, you lost that protection. That could explain why my husband suddenly came online and went offline again."

Ten nodded. He tapped his chin, deep in thought for a moment.

"Doctor, do you have still have the Thinide Chlorzine pills?" he asked Eleven.

"Yes, I do," Eleven said.

"What's that?" Sarah Jane said.

"It numbs the body, dulls any pain but allows the person to function normally, unlike morphine or valium. I was thinking that perhaps if Rose and Donna are going with me, we would have them take the pills. That way they would be spared most of the pain of torture if that's why Ripper decides to do."

"Rose, are you sure you and Donna want to do this?" Nine said. "Ripper wants you badly. You, he might spare for awhile but I don't know about...her," he said, pointing to Donna. "Her, he might kill straight away if he decides she's nonessential."

"It won't come to that, I'll convince him that she's essential," Ten said. "Ripper will know her and know what she means to me so I'm betting he won't put her to death…at least not right away. More than likely, he'll try to get me to kill both of them."

"I want to do this, Doctor," Rose said to Nine. "We have to do something to stop this."

"Perhaps I should go then," Nine said. "I could claim I captured you and that would spare you from the wraith of the other Doctors. I'm not sure they would be so gentle if they apprehended you lot."

"So…you want to go back online then?" Eleven said.

"I suppose I'll have to if I don't want to raise the Ripper's suspicions. I can't guarantee that I will be able to control myself though."

"Doctor, get him a damper. That will help dull the Ripper's voice inside his head," Ten said to Eleven. "Okay, so…you'll come with us, Ninth Doctor, and pretend to capture me, Rose and Donna."

"That way I can also keep an eye on Rose along with you," Nine said.

"What do I do then?"

Everyone turned to look at Sally.

"I don't know what you're all planning but what do I do?" Sally said.

"Who are you, Rose's sister?" Nine said.

"I…" Sally said, not sure how to answer that.

Nine smiled at her.

"Look, what were you doing before?" Nine said.

"I was helping Amy and Rani and Rory clean the house," Sally said.

"Well, could you keep on helping them and perhaps fix some dinner for everyone?" Nine said to her. "We'll be hungry when we're through doing this."

Sally nodded. Nine patted her on the shoulder.

"Right, shall we start this so we can finish it?" he said to everyone in the room.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty Two

Ten thanked the driver of the hansom cab when he stopped in front of the Ten Bells.

"Cheers, mate," Ten said, paying the man as Nine, Rose and Donna stepped out of it. "So…now what? We walk around and wait for our other selves to come and find us?"

"There you are!"

Ten turned and frowned when Miranda walked up to him.

"You back, lovey? I thought you left," she said.

"Um…I left but I came…back," the Doctor said, wondering who the hell she was. "Sorry, do I know you?"

"Oi, I only saved your life from 'oever was huntin' ya," Miranda said angrily.

Ten's eyes widened and his mouth formed an O.

"Oh, you're Miranda. Sorry, I'm…John's twin brother," he said.

"Oh, sorry, mate, thought you were your brother," Miranda said. "Is 'e at 'ome then? Is 'e safe?"

"Yes, he is and thank you for looking after him," Ten said.

Rose heard her name being called and looked over at the entrance to the Ten Bells. Annie was coming out of the pub with a thirty something woman with blonde curly hair at her side.

"Rose! Donna! There you are! Been lookin' for ya!" Annie said. "Found Polly. Sorry, we didn't come back last night. We worked late into the night and we decided to sleep in the church until we found ya again. Who're they then?" he said, pointing to Nine and Ten.

"Friends," Rose said.

"Annie Chapman, long time no see," Miranda said.

"Miranda Jones, so 'ow's it been, Miss Hoity-toity. Living the posh live still in your little ol' 'ouse?"

"Least I got an 'ouse, you strumpet!" Miranda shot back.

Annie and Polly cackled.

"Yeah, you're living like toffs now, you are," Annie taunted. "The only reason you got an 'ouse is because your pimp up and died and left it to yas."

"Um…we're not interested in this," Nine said to them.

He sighed when the taunting continued and the voices got shriller as the three women traded insults.

"Lovely," Nine said, rolling his eyes. "Not only are we in danger of being enslaved by the Ripper, we get to watch an ape fight on top of it."

Ten pointed towards the church and the four of them walked away.

"Oi, wait!" Annie said when she finally realized they were leaving them behind. "Oi, come back, we'll stop, we will!"

Everyone stopped in front of the church while the three women ran to catch up with them.

"Sorry, that was uncalled for," Polly said when they caught up to them. "We'll be'ave now."

"Look, we're in a bit of danger and it wouldn't be a good idea to stay here with us," Nine said.

"Why, are you being followed as well?" Miranda said.

"You could say that," Ten said, looking around.

"Look, why don't you and Polly go to the boarding house and get some rest," Rose said to them. "And Miranda…"

"She's got an 'ouse, she's 'oity-toity now," Polly said, derision dripping from her mouth as she glared at Miranda.

"Fine, yes, good. Go to your respective places of rest and rest there," Nine said.

"You don't want to 'ide?" Miranda said. "John was 'iding!"

"But we decided to face our pursuers," Ten said. "But the three of you are in danger so please leave."

"Come on, let's leave them alone," Annie said. "Let's 'ave another pint while they sort this out."

"Yes, have some pints and relax," Donna said.

"Are you sure you'll be okay, loveys?" Miranda said, casting a concerned look over all of them.

"We'll be fine, Miranda, thank you," Ten said, taking her hand and putting his free hand on top of it. "Go and relax, please. Share a few pints and be friends again."

"Come on, Miranda, we'll catch up on old times," Annie said.

Miranda nodded. She gave Ten a quick peck on the cheek before following her friends into the pub. Ten breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay, hopefully that's sorted," Ten said. "Now all we do is wait."

"How long do we wait?" Donna said. "What if it takes ages before they come back?"

"Then we'll go into the pub and have a few pints as well," Ten said.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

The Ripper frowned. He felt the minds of the Ninth and Tenth Doctor but now he could no longer feel Eleven. He stepped into the center of the pentagram and looked at the wraiths encircling them.

"Something's going on, I believe the Doctors are playing games with me. Perhaps I should send my slaves to confront them," he said to the wraiths. "You will follow them but you will refrain from attacking until I command it. I want the Doctors to surrender peacefully if necessary. I want them whole and alive and in their original body for the conversion. Go and obey me!"

He watched as the wraiths zoomed away, snakelike wisps of smoke that floated up and out of the cloister room. Ripper smiled as he watched them go.

"You may think you'll win, Doctors. But sooner or later you will join my coven and become one with us all," he said as the wraiths left the TARDIS.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter Thirty Three

Ten checked his watch. It'd been nearly a half hour since they began waiting and still no sign of anyone. By now they were all sitting on the steps of Christ Church, cooled by the shadow cast by the church while the day began to heat up. A few street children chased each other around the road in front of them while carriage drivers tried to avoid them and shouted at them to get out of the bloody way. One of the children, a young girl of about four years old ran over to Ten and smiled shyly at him. Ten returned the smile and winked as he put a few pennies into her open palm. The girl gasped and Rose chuckled when she threw her arms around him in gratitude before rejoining her friends. She showed them the pennies and pointed to the Tenth Doctor. Immediately, there was a small group around him, begging for more. Ten obliged them with three shillings and the children thanked him profusely before running off to spend it.

Ten glanced at his counterpart after the children left. Nine was staring at the Ten Bells, lost in a contemplative silence. He felt Ten staring at him and turned his gaze towards him.

"What?" he said.

"Why did you do it?" he said to Nine.

"Do what?"

"Kill Jackie and Mickey?"

Nine didn't answer, turning his attention back to the Ten Bells.

"Because I wouldn't," Ten said.

"Well, good for you, nice to know you're perfect," Nine spat at him.

"Why did you let the Ripper control you like that? Yes, Jackie and Mickey are annoying but I wouldn't kill them."

"You weren't there so you have no idea what was going through my head, alright?" Nine growled at him. "You have no idea how strong the Ripper's voice was."

"Um…on the contrary," Ten said, reaching into his shirt and pulling out his damper. "I was being tormented as well. My TARDIS saved me by going across the void and I found Rose and my clone there. If she hadn't done that for me, I might have succumbed."

"Then why are you judging me?" Nine said in disbelief. "If you nearly succumbed, why are you casting judgment on me?"

"I'm sorry," Ten said. "I just find it hard to believe that you would kill someone close to Rose in cold blood."

"I had to do something so Rose could get away," Nine said bitterly. "I wasn't alone that night. The Ripper was watching me along with the other Doctors, if I hadn't killed someone he would have made me track down Rose or Jack and kill them. I did it to save their lives. I'm not proud of it, alright? I'm sorry, Rose, I really am," he said, turning his eyes to her, searching for any sign of forgiveness from her.

Rose nodded, not really ready to forgive him at this point but because she wanted them to get past all this and focus on the problem at hand. She had seen how haggard Ten looked when he came to them and she knew he had been ready to crack so there was really no need for him to judge his younger self for his crimes. She glanced at Donna, who was sitting beside her. She hadn't said a word and was staring straight ahead but she could tell she was taking in every word. She wondered what it'd been like to grow up in the hellish alternate London and for once, she thanked God that the Doctor had taken her over the void where she'd been separated from that.

"Here they are."

Rose looked over at Nine when she heard him speak. She saw several robed figures moving towards them and she knew it was some of the other Doctors. She and everyone else stood up and Nine and Ten moved in front of the women in order to protect them.

"There's no need to harm us, we'll come quietly," Ten said to them as they slowly surrounded them.

Rose looked at the robed figures and she and Donna drew nearer to the Tenth Doctor as the coven surrounded them. Ten glanced at his lover and best friend and put his arms around them while Nine glowered at his fellow Doctors, ready to defend Rose if need be.

"You will come with us."

Ten frowned when he heard the Fourth Doctor's voice coming from a robed figure off to his right. The voice was hollow and emotionless and Ten shuddered, wondering who he had to kill in order to turn. It wasn't Sarah Jane so was it Leela, Romana, Adric? Any one of them could have turned him but he imagined Romana would be the trigger since she and Sarah were closest to his hearts at that time.

"Just follow them and don't do anything to anger them," Nine said to Ten.

Ten nodded. They followed the coven around the church. Across the road, behind the church was a TARDIS but it wasn't like any TARDIS Ten had seen before. It was still in the shape of a police box but instead of the familiar blue, the exterior was jet black. Ten grimaced at that, thinking that even his beloved TARDIS must have been corrupted by the evil of the Ripper. However, he couldn't think about that now. He reached into his trouser pocket and discretely brought out a small black disc with a little black button on the front of it. When they reached the TARDIS, the coven opened it but Ten lingered a moment, waiting till the coven had entered. One of the coven waited at the open door for their captives to enter. Nine put his arm around Rose and they went in first, followed by Donna. Ten pretended to lovingly pat his ship's door but in reality, he was affixing the disc to the door. He walked in and to his relief, the last coven member shut the doors from the inside, missing the disc entirely. Certain, the disc was in place, he allowed himself to be escorted with the others past the console room. They were led to the Cloister Room and when they went down the steps, Rose pointed to the pentagram on the floor.

"It's like the scene you described in your vision," she said to Ten.

"Vision?" Nine said to him.

"I was shown a vision of this room and the pentagram and the robed Doctors while I was being tormented," Ten told him.

Nine nodded and they walked the rest of the way down. When they reached the pentagram, Ten, Rose and Donna were herded into the center and Nine was compelled to stand with the rest of the coven on the outskirts. He was the only one without a robe on so he was able to watch Rose and know that she might be comforted by his presence. When the coven was in their places, the wraiths appeared, snaking down the steps, long whisps of black smoke that glided around the outskirts of the coven. Ten put his arms around Rose and Donna and whispered to them to be brave while they looked at the howling and shrieking wraiths.

Then another robed man came down the steps and Ten snorted, thinking of how the Master had descended the steps in a similar manner centuries ago, dressed in a black robe and thinking himself invincible. He wondered what was it with evil people and robes as a fashion statement.

The wraiths stopped spinning around the coven and instead coalesced behind the Doctors in a huge black cloud. Their howls ceased as the man stepped to the head of the coven. He pulled down his robe and the Doctor recognized the man he'd seen many years before who tried to convict him in a Time Lord courtroom. He didn't look any different from that time and was even wearing the same black skullcap. He even had the same look of smug contempt on his face while he looked over his captives.

"So, you realize the futility of trying to hide from me, Doctor," the Ripper said as he stepped inside the pentagram.

"No, I want to talk to you," Ten said.

The smirk widened.

"So you can delay your conversion?" he said.

"No, I want to know how you did it," Ten said.

"Did what? Led your fellow Doctors to the path of evil? I did nothing much, only fed the flames of anger and darkness that had been inside them all along."

Ten glanced at Rose and Donna before putting his arms to his sides.

"And you think killing Rose is going to drive me over the edge and put me in your thrall?" he said as he put his hands in his trouser pockets and sauntered forward.

"Rose means more to you than life itself."

"Yes, she is one of the people nearest and dearest to my heart. But you see, I lost her once already," Ten said. "You're me, surely you remember that day at Canary Wharf. How Rose was lost to me?"

"Of course," Ripper said, nodding.

"Mm-hmm, and I seem to recall going through a period of intense grieving and longing for her but oddly enough, I didn't become a psychopathic serial killing monster. I met Martha and continued with business as usual. I survived that horrible day and indeed, I just sent her back to that same universe with my clone, sacrificing my happiness for hers and, AND…" he said, holding his finger up in the air. "I just took away the memories of my best friend on top of that," as he used the finger to point to Donna. "Which was also extremely traumatic and yet, here I am, still little ol' me," he said, throwing his arms wide."

He smiled tenderly at Donna as he walked to her side.

"Because of your meddling, she never met me until now," he said, putting his hand on Donna's shoulder. "So in for all intents and purposes, she still has no memory of me, the only difference is at the moment there's no danger of her dying since she never become the DoctorDonna. But the point still stands, I still have a best friend standing here who has no real idea who I am. Does that hurt? Yes. Does it make me want to kill someone? No. And I'll tell you why," he said, holding up his finger as he walked to Rose. "Because the first point is…I know I made the right decision leaving Rose with my clone, John. Because they are happy and that was what I wanted for her. Point two…I have met Amy, Rory and River, companions of my future self and I realize that my life will go on and I will meet new friends and have new adventures with them. It gives me something to live for and that's why I've gone on and never succumbed to the darkness. Because just when I thought there was nothing worth living for, a new friend comes along and I find a renewed sense of purpose. He…" Ten said, pointing to Nine, "found that sense of purpose in Rose which is why he couldn't bring himself to slaughter her the night you sent him out."

He walked towards the Ripper.

"Now…could you force me to kill these two women. Probably. You could seize my mind and torment me until I was a slobbering, sadistic wreck of a man that would kill both women with no thought at all. However, I'd advise against that. You think killing Rose will weaken and destroy me. It won't. Killing her would fill me with rage alright but not towards the universe. It would fill me with rage towards you. Because as I once told a carrionite lady, Rose's name keeps me fighting. If anything happens to either one of them, you better start running because I will hunt you down and destroy you without any mercy and I have a feeling my ninth self would join in. I don't know how you managed to talk my other selves into killing the people they loved but I know one thing for sure. You're afraid."

"Of what?" Ripper sneered.

"Of us, Ten said gleefully. "This is pentagram we're standing in. Despite the association it has with Satanism, the pentagram is traditionally used as a symbol of protection. I notice that you're standing inside it with me while the Doctors and those clouds of evil are all outside it. Did you do something to prevent all the baddies from getting inside here with us? Or are they not allowed in here without your consent? Because I find it interesting that you used a pentagram, especially since I don't believe in magic."

He smirked this time when Ripper glowered at him.

"You think you're so clever, Doctor," Ripper snarled at him.

"I know I'm so clever," Ten said smugly, "and I'm also right. You fear us just as much as we fear you. Because we're all the same, aren't we? You can harness our darkness and use it against others but that darkness could just as easily turn against you so you have to find a way to keep your dogs neutered and tame, eh?" he said, pointing to the coven. "He slipped from your control," he said, pointing to Nine. "What happens when the others do the same? What happens when twelve pissed off Doctors turn against you and you end up shredded like Jack the Ripper's victims. You hold sway in here but only just. Kill Rose and there'll be at least four of us in here who will attack you in return. I know my twelve and thirteen selves are here somewhere," he said loudly as he looked at the coven. "I know it's been centuries since you saw Rose but you still care for her, don't you? If she dies…what will you do?"

"They are under my thrall, Doctor," Ripper said.

"Are they?" Ten said, turning his attention to him. "Are they really? Or are you just telling yourself that because you're afraid of the real answer? Myself and my fellow Doctors might be able to succumb to you for awhile but I've always been good at snapping out of it."

He smirked and walked closer to the Ripper.

"How long till they "snap out of it?" he said in a hushed voice as the Ripper glanced around the room. "Because I have a feeling it's not gonna be long before they wake up and then…Valeyard, we're coming after you….all of us."


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty Four

"So this Ripper," Rory said as he, Amy, Rory, Sarah Jane and Jack followed Eleven towards Christ Church. "Is this Ripper the Dream Lord, I've been thinking and what you said about the Dream Lord being you."

"Yes, Rory, this man is very much like the Dream Lord," Eleven said, glancing over his shoulder at him. "Except this time it's not a piece of space dust on the console. This man is very real and very tangible and he needs to be stopped."

Leaving Sally behind at the house, Eleven had taken the TARDIS and parked it behind the Ten Bells. They had tried to get Rani to stay behind but she would have none of it.

"No, everyone here is risking their lives and I want to do the same," she said. "Besides, you said I worked with Sarah Jane in the other reality. If you lot are risking death, I want to as well. Besides, it's the least I can do after causing havoc with the Jacksprites."

Eleven used his sonic, following the artron energy of the Doctors. He snorted when he realized Ripper had done nothing to mask the energy from his sonic.

"Arrogant as ever," Eleven muttered, ignoring the fact that was commenting about himself.

They walked around the back of Christ Church and froze when they saw the black TARDIS.

"Oh my God," River said.

Eleven let out an angry sigh and shook his head, muttering under his breath about how the Valeyard would pay for doing this. He nodded to his team and they slowly walked towards the TARDIS, keeping watch for any enemies. They reached it unopposed and Eleven grinned when he saw the disc affixed firmly to the door.

"What's that?" Rani said, pointing to it when Eleven pushed the button on the disc.

"Overrides his TARDIS so she doesn't act against us," Eleven said. "Hopefully, he's busy at the moment and we can come right in."

He tried his TARDIS key and heard the lock click. He slowly opened it and looked inside.

"All clear," he said softly before hurrying everyone inside.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"Well?" Ten said as he and Ripper stared at one another. "You gonna start the conversion, Shipyard, or are we going to stand here and pretend we're Weeping Angels?"

"Don't call me that, Doctor. I am the Ripper," Ripper snarled at him.

Ten gaffawed.

"Oh please," Ten said as the Ripper glowered at him. "Jack the Ripper? Really? So now you think you're him, eh? You can't even rip through a bed sheet, Scrap Yard, let along kill a bunch of women. You're useless. You're nothing but a figment of our imaginations," he said, opening his arms to indicate the coven. "You have no real life of your own so you have to take ours in order to exist. What makes you think you'll ever be more substantial than these smoke monsters, eh?" he said, pointing to the wraiths. "You're nothing without us. You're not even a for sure reality. You're just an alternate reality."

"And I have made myself real, Doctor," Ripper thundered at him.

"But yet, you fear us," Ten said.

"I fear nothing," Ripper bellowed at him.

"Then step outside the pentagram," Ten said mildly. "Step outside the protection zone and see if your dogs stay in their places. These smoke monsters, I take it they are the distillation of all the hate and anger that was inside my other selves?"

"Yes," Ripper said.

"Then step outside the pentagram and show us how brave you are," Ten said.

"I don't have time for this," Ripper growled at him.

He started to walk towards Rose and Donna but Ten stepped in front of him. Ripper's eyes widened when Nine stepped into the pentagram and walked up beside his counterpart.

"Oh look, someone got through the pentagram without your permission," Ten said airily while Nine glowered at the Ripper. "How did that happen then? I mean this is magic, right? Or…Rose, my dear?"

"Yeah?" Rose said.

Head on my shoulder for a mo," he said, tapping his right shoulder.

Rose put her chin on his shoulder.

"Yeah?" she said, glancing at him.

"Remember the werewolf at Torchwood House, my dear?"

"Yup," Rose said.

"Remember how the monkey monks used oil of mistletoe to control the wolf by making it think it would be bad for him, Rose dearest?"

"Yup."

"Do you suppose, my poppet, that the Boneyard has done the same here and there really isn't anything to this pretty pentagram at our feet?"

"Hmm, that could be," Rose said.

"Do you think, poppet, that my ninth self figured out this little nugget of information we just put forth now and that's why he's in here with us without permission from his master?"

"Perhaps," Rose said.

"Thanks ever so muchly, my partner in crime, you can step back now," Ten said, patting her head.

"Okay," Rose said before taking her chin off his shoulder.

"Just getting my partner's valuable opinion since I think my hunch is correct. You see, my other self just stepped in here and he's not bursting into flames or balled up on the floor in agony so…you really don't have any real protection from us, do ya?" Ten said smugly.

"I can kill you all the same, Doctor!" Ripper said, jabbing his finger at him. "You and you friends!"

"Kill me, isn't that counterintuitive to your plan?" Ten said. "Sounds like the word of a desperate man to me."

Ripper stepped towards him and Nine stepped towards the Ripper in response.

"I order you to leave the pentagram," Ripper said to Nine.

Ten, Rose and Donna looked at Nine. Nine smirked at that and folded his arms over his chest, giving the Ripper a pointed look.

"You're losing your power over us, Ripper," Ten taunted.

"You, coven, attack and restrain them!" Ripper said to the other Doctors.

Ten, Nine, Rose and Donna looked around but the Doctors didn't move.

"Coven, eh?" Ten said to Ripper when he noticed no one was moving. "So you are basing all this control on magical rubbish. Doesn't seem to be working now."

"Wraiths! Kill them!" Ripper yelled as he pointed at the people in front of them.

The wraiths tried to get inside the pentagram and Ten chuckled when they were repelled by it.

"Trained them a little too well, I see," Ten said to the Ripper when the wraiths howled in frustration and tried to come into the pentagram.

His eyes widened when suddenly as one, the other Doctors stepped inside it and stood around the inner circumference of it.

"See, the other Doctors are listening," Ten said to the Ripper. "They finally get that they can come in while the smoke monsters can't. We're not that thick, Graveyard."

While he was talking, Nine glanced up at the stairs and noticed Eleven was now at the top with his team, taking in the situation. Eleven caught his eye and Nine nodded a bit, letting him know it was safe to continue. Eleven and his team slowly came down the steps while Ten distracted Ripper with his taunting.


	35. Chapter 35

A/N: The Twelfth Doctor is based on Ioan Gruffudd and Thirteen is based on Benedict Cumberbatch.

Chapter Thirty Five

Eleven paused on the landing just before the last set of steps. Ripper still had his back to him but some of the robed people could see him, at least they were turned in his direction and the wraiths. They were still slowly moving around the perimeter of the pentagram. He had no idea if the energy could see him but so far, no one had raised an alarm. He slowly descended the last set of steps towards his foe.

Meanwhile, Donna was watching and listening to Ten while he spoke to the Ripper. As she watched, she felt someone come up behind her. She turned and was startled when she saw one of the hooded figures was just behind her.

"Don't be alarmed, Donna," the man said with a deep voice.

"You're one of the Doctors then?" Donna said to him.

"I am. You know me, although you might not remember it."

"No, I…don't," Donna said.

Rose turned her head and stared at the hooded man.

"Who are you?" she said.

"I am the Thirteenth Doctor," he said softly. "Donna was my companion and…I killed her."

He grabbed her shoulder when Donna tried to get away from him.

"No, I was tricked. I was made to believe you were attacking me," he said to her. "Please, I won't hurt you."

"She traveled with you? But…she traveled with the Tenth Doctor," Rose said softly.

"And me…it took awhile but I finally figured out a way to fix her mind so she could remember me safely. After that, she traveled with me again," he said.

He noticed that Eleven was nearing the pentagram so he decided to act quickly. He stepped in front of Donna and got the Ripper's attention. He pulled down his hood. Ten looked at him. He was youthful with an angular face and prominent cheekbones. He had alluring blue eyes and soft brown curly hair; although at the moment the hair was matted and dirty. He was also emaciated as were the other Doctors but there was still strength in his face.

"You are the Thirteenth Doctor," Ten said to him.

"I am," Thirteen said, nodding.

"I command you to step back and form the circle with your fellow Doctors," Ripper said, jabbing his finger at him.

"As I was telling Donna, I was tricked into killing her. This bastard managed to cause a hallucination that made me believe Donna was trying to kill me. I killed her in self defense when I thought there was no other recourse but I learned the truth afterwards. That's when I began my descent into darkness and the Ripper stepped in to claim me. But seeing Donna alive and well has done wonders for me."

"Is that right? So you used manipulation and hallucinations to bring my fellow Doctors to the dark side?" Ten said to the Ripper.

Ripper glared silent at him and Ten nodded and smirked.

"So…you basically either tricked most of the Doctors here or you tormented them until they gave in. I'm beginning to think we're not as evil as you think we are. You're sustained only by that evil and without it, you're nothing, Valeyard."

The Valeyard let out a loud grunt when Eleven suddenly cannoned into him from behind.

"Hey! I'm not affected by the magical pentagram thing on the floor. I can come inside it," he crowed as the Ripper glared at him and got to his feet. "Hello, Doctors, I'm the fabulous number Eleven, here to join your little party!"

Wraiths, destroy them! Destroy everyone here!" Ripper shrieked.

The Wraiths suddenly began to glide around the room, letting out their anguished howls. The Ripper laughed when the Doctors huddled together until he realized the Wraiths were menacing him as well."

"No, not me! Them!" Ripper yelled as he stepped back towards the other Doctors.

"You said destroy everyone here, Boneyard, so your pets are going to do just that," Ten said as Eleven urged his team to join the Doctors in the pentagram. "Maybe you should choose your words more carefully next time!"

Ripper looked around at the Wraiths swirling around them. Then suddenly, he jumped out in front of everyone and opened his arms wide.

"Take me, all of you! Come inside me and make me powerful!" he yelled.

"Oh bugger," Eleven said as the Wraiths changed course and began entering his chest one by one. With each absorbed Wraith, the Ripper's eyes grew blacker and blacker until there was nothing but blackness in his eyes. The final Wraith entered him and the Ripper gave them an evil smile.

"Yes! I am more powerful than ever!" he said. "The evil from all of you gives me strength! I will kill you all and then there will be only me!"

Ten glanced over his shoulder when the other Doctors lowered their hoods. All of them looked gaunt but there was now a spark of defiance among them that hadn't been there. The Doctors formed a ring of protection around everyone as Ripper laughed at them.

"I will kill all the people you hold dear, Doctors, and then you will be mine again. My personal army that will conquer the universe."

"But you just said we would all die," the Fourth Doctor said.

"Yes, get it right, Boneyard. Do we die or don't we die, make up your mind," Six said.

Ripper was about to say something to him when he got an odd look on his face.

"Something the matter?" Ten said.

"He looks pained," Eleven said. "Could it be something he ate perhaps?"

Ripper let out a scream of anguish and collapsed to his knees, holding his head in his hands.

"What's going on?" Sarah Jane said.

"I believe he's absorbed a bit too much evil for his liking, Sarah," Four said, coming close to her.

"How do you know me?" Sarah Jane said.

"He knew you in the original reality," Eleven said. "You traveled with him."

"Oh. I'm sorry, I wish I could remember you," Sarah Jane said.

"It's alright, it's this blighter here that's the cause of that," Four said as he pointed to the Ripper. "Although, I think he went a bit too far."

By now, the Ripper was in agony, clutching his head as he cried out in pain. Ten walked up to him and smirked as he squatted down beside him.

"You thought you could control all that anger and hate, eh? But you fail to realize that all that darkness comes with the memories of everything we did that was dark. Now your mind is being overloaded with eleven lives worth of thoughts and wishes and memories and fantasies. Hurts, doesn't it? Having that much going on in your mind. That's why I had to take it out of Donna because her mind couldn't contain it either. However, unlike Donna, I'm not going to do a damn thing to save you. You brought this on yourself, Valeyard, not deal with the consequences."

"No, have pity on me, Doctor, save me!" Ripper yelled.

"Doctors, anyone care to help him?" Ten said, looking over his shoulder.

The Doctors glanced at one another and as one folded their arms over their chests while they watched the Ripper's agony. The Ripper tried to crawl towards them but the Doctors stepped backwards, urging their companions and friends to step with them. By now, the Ripper was dying and he stretched forth his hand, imploring someone to do something.

"We're dark and evil, why should we help you?" Eleven said. "That would be doing a good deed and we're not good."

"Everything has its time and everything dies," Nine said to the Ripper. "Except you never should have had your time in the first place. I feel no pity watching you die, Valeyard, especially after everything that happened because of your meddling."

The Ripper tried to get up but the memories and darkness overwhelmed him and he lay on the floor, groaning in agony while everyone watched dispassionately. Five minutes passed before the Ripper finally let out one last weak groan as he lay his head on the floor and finally died.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter Thirty Six

Ten came forward and prodded the Ripper's dead body.

"Is he dead?" Rani said.

"I think so, yeah," Ten said.

"So everything will return to normal?" Sarah Jane said.

"Well…he never killed Polly Nichols and started off the Ripper murders so the proper timeline should…"

He trailed off when the Cloister Room suddenly faded away and they were standing behind Christ Church.

"What's going on?" Rose said.

"The Ripper and his TARDIS are insubstantial things," Eleven said. "Just an alternate reality that was given flesh, like the Dream Lord me and Amy and Rory encountered. He died before committing his evil deeds so now he and his TARDIS are being erased from the timeline and everything is being returned to normal. See…" he said, pointing to the Ripper as his dead body faded away into nothingness.

He turned and was pleased when he saw the same change come over the Doctors. Except instead of disappearing, they morphed back into their proper selves with their proper clothing, all of them healthy looking again. Then they heard the sound of several TARDISes wheezing and every Doctors TARDIS except for Ten's reappeared in a circle around the Doctors. Then while everyone watched, Sarah Jane, Rani, Donna and Jack faded away.

"Where'd they go?" Rose said, panicked.

"They went back to their proper places in time. History is restoring itself," Eleven said. "You and John should be the only ones left besides my companions."

Every TARDIS except for Eleven's wheezed impatiently.

"It's time for all of you to go now, Doctors," Eleven said. "You need to go back to your rightful places in time as well."

Rose's eyes misted over and she turned towards Nine. Nine now looked the same as she remembered him and she embraced him.

"I probably won't remember this timeline once I'm back in my proper place but I'm glad you're safe even after you've left my side," Nine said, hugging her tightly. "Goodbye, Rose."

"Goodbye, Doctor," she said.

She buried her nose in his jumper for a moment, breathing in his scent before letting go of him. He touched her cheek before he headed towards his TARDIS. Rose felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see the Thirteenth and Twelfth Doctors grinning at her. Twelve was in his early thirties with dark hair and blue eyes.

"Goodbye, Rose, nice seeing you again," he said.

"Yeah, it's been centuries since I've seen you," Thirteen said. "You look the same though. Take care."

Rose hugged them both quickly and smiled when they kissed both her cheeks. She watched as they waved goodbye to her and walked to their TARDISes. When every Doctor except for Eleven and Ten were inside their TARDISes, the TARDISes wheezed loudly and slowly vanished from view.

"That's it, timelines are restored," Eleven said.

"And London should be normal…well, as normal as it's ever going to be," Ten added. "Now there's only one thing left to sort out," he said, giving Rose a pointed look.

"We have to go back," Rose said, her face deflating.

"Well, I do have to go back and retrieve my TARDIS," Ten said. "We did leave it over there for safekeeping. But you really should go back, Rose. You and John have a duty to protect that universe."

"Yeah, but you'll be alone again," Rose said sadly.

"Not for long," Ten said, pointing to the Doctor's companions.

Eleven smiled and stepped up to her.

"Rose, I'll be fine, trust me," he said to her. "I love that you're so concerned about me but like my predecessor said, I will recover and move on. You have John and your family's in the other universe. Why not do what you were born to do and defend it?"

He kissed her forehead when Rose nodded reluctantly.

"Just a simple peck, dearest," Eleven said aloud when he finished.

"Good, keep it that way," River teased.

"Henpecked, me," Eleven said while Rose giggled.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

"So…is everything alright?" John said when Eleven's TARDIS returned to the house.

"Time is sorted, the Valeyard is dead, our other selves are in their proper places, your fiancée needs cuddling, everything is super," Ten said as he emerged from the TARDIS.

"Cuddling? She always needs that," John said, taking Rose's hand when she stepped out behind Ten.

"Well, I suggested to her that we need to go back to Pete's World and naturally she's a bit gutted that I said no to her offer of staying over here," Ten said, taking Rose's other hand while Eleven stepped out with his family.

The two men looked at each other while Rose stood in the middle of her.

"This looks vaguely familiar somehow," Ten teased. "Weren't we in this exact same position once before?"

"I believe we were," John said. "Something about needing to say something to Rose?"

"Alright, alright, I'll say it then," Ten said, holding up his hand.

John leaned in as Rose waited expectantly. He whispered something and grinned when Rose gave him a withering look.

"What mystery of life did you impart to the lamb?" John said while Eleven sniggered. "Something about loving her?"

"Nah, I said, "If you build it, they will come," Ten said with a shrug, "It's one of my favorite film quotes."

"Hold her there," Eleven said, holding up his finger as he strode forward to Rose.

Rose giggled when John and Ten used their free hands to lock onto her wrists. Eleven gave her a gleeful smile.

"So…Tyler," he said. "You are restrained and your arms are akimbo and armpits are exposed to my fingers."

"Don't you dare!" she said while everyone else laughed.

"What say you, Pond, should I?" Eleven said, looking at Amy.

"But wouldn't that be giving in to your dark nature if you tickled her without mercy?" Amy said to him.

"Yes, but…I must resist, mustn't I?" Eleven said, pacing around while everyone laughed. "Must give in to the temptation to tickle Rose Tyler until she's breathless, that would be naughty."

Eleven smirked at Rose when she tried half-heartedly to get out of the grip of her fiancé and former lover. He waggled his fingers in her face and drew them back when Rose tried to bite them.

"Ooo, that's cheeky, perhaps I should give in to my inner darkness and tickle her until she's unconscious."

"I'll do it," Rory said, stepping up beside the Doctor.

"Why you?" Eleven said to him.

"Spare you the threat of becoming dark," Rory said.

"What about your wife?" the Doctor said, pointing to Amy.

"She would agree with me," Rory said.

Eleven looked at Amy.

"Would you agree with him?" he said.

"No," Amy said.

Eleven looked at Rory while Rose giggled.

"I think it would be wise to refrain from Rose tickling," he said to him.

"Blast," Rory said, stomping off.

"Hmm, I have a feeling the tension between the Ponds will be palpable tonight. Perhaps I should go to the other universe with Rose and John and stay there," Eleven said, winking while Rose giggled.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter Thirty Seven

Eleven opened the door of his TARDIS and stepped out. He looked around at Bannerman Road and noticed none of the houses were boarded up or dilapidated. He looked at Sarah Jane's house over the road and smiled when he noticed it looked the same as usual. As everyone else came out behind him, Sarah Jane's door opened and she came outside with a squeal.

"Doctor!" she said. "I thought that was you and…Doctor…and…the clone, I'm assuming," she said, looking at Ten standing side by side with John.

"You know who I am then?" Eleven said joyfully as he and everyone else walked towards her house.

"Well, yes, we fought the Shansheeth, remember?" Sarah Jane said, reaching out to embrace him. "I'm old but I don't have Alzheimer's yet, Doctor."

"Is Luke here and Rani and Clyde?" Eleven said, pleased that time was back to normal.

"No, they're at the shopping center," Sarah Jane said. "They'll be gutted that they didn't see you again. Unless…you'd like to stay for tea?"

"Well, it's tempting but I need to take Rose and John back to Pete's World," Eleven said.

"John?" Sarah Jane said.

Eleven made introductions and introduced her to John, River, Rory and Amy, ignoring the irony that she'd already met them before in the other reality. Rose smiled and hugged her friend when she finished saying hello, thrilled that her friend was back to normal again. She stepped back and Sarah Jane smiled and looked at everyone.

"Well, it was lovely seeing everyone again. Especially you," she said to Ten.

She started going towards him and paused, looking at Ten and John.

"I'm sorry, who is…"

Ten and John looked at each other.

"We both are," they said in unison.

Ten chuckled when Sarah Jane shot him a withering look and came forward to embrace her.

"I missed you, I was worried about you," she said as she hugged Ten.

"Worried about what?" Ten said, looking at her as she let go.

"About your…"

She glanced at Eleven. Ten looked his way and saw him shake his head.

"Well, your regeneration….which obviously hasn't happened for you yet," Sarah Jane said sheepishly.

"Nah, I'll be alright. Seeing my other self and his companions have eased my fears about that," Ten said.

"Good, I'm glad," Sarah Jane said, squeezing his hand.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

They stayed long enough to have a cup of tea with her before leaving. Eleven promised Sarah Jane that he would visit her again and accepted a hug from her before he went back into his TARDIS. He asked his ship to find a way over the void and after an hour, they finally made it back to Rose and John's London flat.

"Hello old girl!" Ten said when he stepped out and saw his TARDIS. "Did you miss me? I missed you!"

He unlocked the door and went inside.

"My TARDIS!" they heard him bellow. "My interior, my settings, my TARDIS. I'm back in control and it feels so good!"

He breathed in the familiar scent of his TARDIS, happy to be back in it. He patted his console lovingly and then turned to see Rose standing at the top of the ramp.

"You're back," Rose said as Ten came towards her. "Everything is back to normal."

"Well, as normal as it's gonna get," Ten said. "And you, are you willing to stay here with John and be a protector of this universe?"

"If you want me to," Rose said. "But I'll miss ya."

"And I'll miss you, always will, even when I'm him out there," he said, pointing to the door. "Blimey, I'm gonna wear tweed in future. And bow ties? Ick!"

"Better get yourself a set of fake eyebrows so you'll have them when you're him," Rose said.

"Oh, you noticed that as well?" he said while she giggled. "Yes, I noticed his lack of brows. Wonder if he misses mine," he added, running his finger along his left eyebrow.

Rose sighed and embraced him.

"I'll miss you," she said as she ran her hand down the back of his head.

"You'll always be a part of me, Rose," Ten said. "I noticed my Twelfth self was friendly with ya, apparently he still misses you."

"He was well fit, too bad I'll be here with John, your last life wasn't bad either," Rose said.

"Careful, he might be listening and I do get jealous," Ten teased.

"Eh, I'll deal with his jealously later," Rose said before leaning in for a quick snog.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

After Ten left, Eleven and his companions were left with Rose and John.

"It was nice seeing you again, Rose and John," Eleven said to them. "And I'm glad you met Amy, Rory and River. I'm glad both of you are moving in the right direction and I hope you get married and have a long and happy life together."

"Well, I wish the same for you and River," Rose said.

She noticed an all too familiar hint of pain in his eyes, just for a second before he smiled that boyish grin that she was also familiar with and nodded. She hugged him tightly and did the same for everyone else as John walked up to Eleven.

"Nice to know we've mended fences," John said.

"Yeah, I'm glad we did, I just wish we could have done under more pleasant circumstances. But…you watch over her, John. Keep her safe so she can grow old with you."

"I will. Do the same for that lot," John said, nodding at his companions. "And don't let the misses henpeck you."

"She already does, mate," Eleven said, rolling his eyes.

John chuckled, patted him on the shoulder and Eleven stood back, watched and smiled while he hugged everyone else.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXXO

"So…" John said, slumping into the sofa with Rose after everyone had gone, "back to normal again?"

"Is it ever normal around here?" Rose said wryly as John put his arm around her shoulder.

"Well, normal is in the eye of the beholder," John said to her. "So…sex?"

"We just got back home," Rose said.

"Yeah. And I recall we were having an anniversary celebration before the Doctors crashed into our lives. So…sex?"

"You're randy, you are," Rose said.

"Well, I have the most gorgeous gal in two universes and I'm pent up and looking for release so yes, I suppose I am. So…sex?"

"No, I want to watch Ripper Street. It's on the telly tonight," Rose said.

She laughed when John rolled his eyes at that and squealed when he suddenly lunged his face at her neck and began to suck on it.

THE END.


End file.
